A Different Ending
by Ziva- Zia- Z
Summary: At 17, she chose her destiny. At 18, the last piece of it claimed her. & now, with a country to rule & a semester to finish at school, Marberly's ruling monarch believes the pieces of her life had been writ in stone. But she'll soon discover that the very 'destiny' she claimed a year ago has very different plans in store for her. Plans that could build her up... or tear her down.
1. Chapter 1

**A Different Ending**

 **Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **Summary: At seventeen, she chose her destiny. At eighteen, the last piece of it claimed her. And now, with a country to rule and a semester to finish at school, Marberly's ruling monarch believes the pieces of her life had been writ in stone. But she'll soon discover that the very 'destiny' she claimed a year ago has very _different_ plans in store for her. Plans that could build her up... or tear her down. Raven/OC. ****Written: 2015, Found: 2018**

 **A/N: It might be a good idea to read _Waiting to Be Rewritten_ before starting this one, if for nothing other than context. **

She waited anxiously on the front steps of Redarnia, keeping a lookout for any sign of the car. A small, amethyst ball of fire rolled between her hands- a habit she'd had since she was a child. The skirt of her lilac-colored dress swished softly as she paced, stopping every so often to crane her neck, before she'd see nothing and resume pacing. It was Wednesday; in two days, she would make the biggest change of her life so far, and she wanted them there for it.

They'd gotten the invitations; she was pretty sure they'd all accepted, _so where were they?_

" _Easy,_ Nevermore. You're going to wear a moat into the stone, and then your father will have to have a drawbridge constructed just to enter the foyer." Strong arms slipped around her shoulders from behind, and she stopped her pacing, visibly relaxing at his mere presence. "That's my girl." He kissed her temple. "They'll get here when they get here, no need to worry. I can't imagine _any_ of them refusing."

She 'hmmed' in response, reaching up to cover his arm with her hand, the flame disappearing as soon as her hands parted. She seemed to sink visibly into his body, lolling her head to the side to allow him access to the soft flesh of her neck. But instead of taking the bait, he pulled away, taking her hand and tugging her back into the palace. " _No, Mika!_ What if they show up? I have to be here-"

"And you will be." He replied, stopping her protests with a soft kiss. "But you don't need to spend the next two hours pacing the front steps. You'll wear yourself out, not to mention your heels, and be so wound up, you won't be able to relax and enjoy the moment they _do_ get here." He tugged her up the stairs to the second floor, where the royal household's living quarters were, down the hall towards her room and pulled her close, kissing her softly as he opened the door.

"Mika, I have to-"

"You have to relax, Nevermore." He replied, tugging her into the room and shutting the door behind her. "This wedding of ours is stressing you out to the point I'm half afraid you'll start splintering like Cedar." She smiled at his soft chuckle, happy he could recall Ever After High without regret or hurt in his voice, though it still lingered in hers. His arms slid around her waist, and he kissed her deeply, walking her back to her bed before climbing up beside her. They lay among the pillows and blankets, hands trailing and teasing, mouths drinking deeply from each other.

Playfully, he walked his fingers down her thigh, slipping them beneath the skirt of her dress and trailing them slowly up the inner skin, towards the area between her legs. She pulled away. "We're not supposed to do anything until _after_ the ceremony on Friday, remember, my prince?" She pressed her forehead to his, mock scolding him. He smirked, kissing her quickly.

"And we _won't_ , my queen. Remember, what needs to be done _after_ the ceremony requires two parts of me in one _very specific area_ \- my mouth-"

"And," She glanced down gaze locking briefly on the area between his legs. "and I am a _very_ _lucky_ woman." She grinned at his soft chuckle, sliding her hands along his waist to rest against his hips as he caught her mouth again. While she was distracted, he slipped his fingers between her undergarments, finding the bundle of nerves and gently rolling it between his thumb and forefinger- she moaned against his lips before deepening the kiss- before slipping two fingers between her folds and into her, being careful of her hymen, for it was to remain intact until after the ceremony.

A very unladylike groan escaped her, and she soon arched her back as he continued his ministrations, breaking the kiss and guiding his mouth to the delicate skin of her throat. She tightened her grasp on his hips, her teeth sliding out to grasp her lower lip as he teased and played with her. _"Mika-"_

He shifted, pushing himself onto his elbow so he could meet her gaze. "Come for me, darling." He whispered, kissing her softly. "Remember, this is a encouraged; it's a good thing." She bit her lip, meeting his blue irises with her violet ones, already filled with desire and desperate for release. Palmarneae and Marberly were very similar in how they viewed intercourse- from oral, to penetrative and masturbation. Both countries viewed such acts as normal to the value of everyday life, and even encouraged it, though by different means for different reasons.

In Palmarneae, a couple engaged in penetration before the wedding ceremony, whereas in Marberly, a bride was to lose her barrier after the ceremony, as an offering to the Goddess. However, both countries believed that masturbation was an accepted form of intercourse before the actual act; a couple could play and experience without actually committing the act- which was why it was so popular among engaged couples. It also gave them time to understand each other's interests sexually, leaving less embarrassment or awkwardness to take place either before or after the wedding ceremony, depending on which country the wedding took place in.

 _"Mikalos-"_ She reached for him, wrapping an arm around his neck and kissing him deeply, moaning against his lips as he quickened his pace. Out of an attempt to steady herself, for she felt about the surely go over the edge, she grabbed for the top of the headboard, fingers grazing the wall above it. Amethyst soon ran the length of the room, covering each wall before vanishing.

She a hand down his chest and over his stomach, eventually brushing her fingers against him through the material of his slacks, and he groaned, his body reacting the only way it wasn't allowed to in regards to her. "Goddess, Ravenna, what do you do to me?"

A throaty giggle escaped her throat, and she kissed him. "This is encouraged, remember my love?" She breathed, kissing him again, as her fingers began to work of their own accord, undoing his slack and slipping between them, slowly stroking his length. "Get it out of our systems now, and by the ceremony, we'll both be ready."

 _"Oh, Ravenna, my love."_ The kiss was hard, firm, deep. She laughed against his lips as he hardened at her touch. She broke the kiss, pulling away from him, tightening around his fingers as her body finally gave in to his teasing.

 _"Mhmm... Mikalos..."_

Eventually, he carefully removed his fingers from her folds; she caught her breath, shaking her head with a laugh. "I'm sorry, my husband. I didn't mean to-"

"Shh." He kissed her softly, before getting up and slipping into the bathroom connected to her room, quickly washing his hands. He could smell her arousal not only on his fingers, but from the bed, and he told himself that they were doing the right thing. That with her gently stretched and used to the sensation of being entered, once the wedding ceremony finished and they were required to slip off before the reception, it would be easier for her to get used to him when he finally filled her completely, as a husband should. "You have nothing to be sorry for, my beautiful wife." He replied, slipping back into the bedroom, in time to see her step out of her now damp undergarments and toss them in the hamper before grabbing new ones.

"This _isn't_ Ever After. You know how our countries view intercourse. They have no problem with it, so why should we?" He tipped her head up, gently thumbing her chin before kissing her sweetly, his gaze going out the window. "Are you ready? We should go greet your friends." She turned, letting out a soft gasp of excitement as she saw the car enter the gates.


	2. Chapter 2

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: So the opening scene of this story is... smut? Almost smut? Kind of smut? Sometimes I wonder what goes on in my sister-in-law's head, and then I remind myself that I don't really want to know. Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia**

Mika leaned against the doorway, watching as Raven rushed down the steps towards the car as her friends got out. Mira, Raven's best friend and adviser, stood not far from the prince, hands folded behind her back, watching with a small smile as her best friend finally reached the car.

 _"Raven!"_

Cerise was the first one she engulfed in a hug, letting out a squeal of excitement once her arms went around the wolf-girl's shoulders. "Oh, I'm so glad you finally made it!"

The others each were soon also engulfed in Raven's embrace, even Hunter, Ashlynn's boyfriend of two years. He accepted the hug; having grown quite fond of Raven during her semester at Ever After High, he had begun to count the young queen among his friends by the time finals rolled around. Eventually, she pulled away, taking each of them in in turn. Even though barely a week had passed since she'd last seen them, subtle changes had taken place among her friends-

Cerise's hair had gotten longer, her hearing becoming more finely tuned, similar to the Big Bad Wolf's; though not a real girl, the grains in Cedar's wood seemed to have smoothed out a little more, and Aada's smattering of freckles had slowly begun to vanish. Nicola seemed to have come out of her shell a bit more, and Briar seemed a little more subdued, while Darling was looking a little more toned and refined, as though she'd been practicing on her own. And Ashlynn and Hunter seemed happy, holding tight to each other's hands.

"Come on, I'll show you to your rooms." She caught Mika's gaze as she passed, Mira falling into step beside her.

Once the others were settled in their rooms and unpacking- for they were all staying until the last day of the first week of the new year- Raven and Mira headed to the sitting room. She felt Mika fall into step on her other side, in a common sight seen in the halls of Rednaria palace nowadays, what with Raven and Mika's wedding fast approaching.

"The others are all here, waiting to greet you two. Are you sure you wouldn't rather catch up in the North Wing sitting room? It's got much more space." Raven waved it away, wrinkling her nose, the amethyst stud she'd received on her eighteenth birthday winking in the light.

"The south wing is fine. It's where we receive most of-"

"And then there's the matter of your classmates-" Mira stated, and Raven rolled her eyes. "Aren't you concerned they'll feel out of place among the rest of the royal houses?"

"They come from Ever After, Mira." Mika spoke up, and the adviser rolled her eyes. As much as she loved Raven, and as much as she knew Raven loved Mika, there were times when the prince just flat-out irritated her- stating the obvious simply to get on her nerves, like he was doing now. She glared at him, and Mika returned it, prompting Raven to stop and blow in both their faces.

"The fact that I have to use a silencing charm on both of you is _ridiculous_. I said it the night of my birthday, and I'll say it again. The last thing I want to deal with is my best friend and my husband- pagan marriage or not- to spend the day bickering. I am not going to play referee. Now get along, please? For my sake." And without another word, she opened the door to the sitting room, slipping inside. The two shared glances before following.

Once the others were unpacked, they all headed down the hall, towards the sitting room, where Raven told them to meet her once they were settled. Hunter reached for the door and then stopped when it opened, and a young maid exited, carrying a tray. "Oh! You must be Miss Ravenna's friends from school." They nodded. "Go on in. She's expecting you."

Laughter met them on the other side of the door; the sitting room was huge, big enough to hold at least sixty or seventy people, with bookshelves and a fireplace that roared in the late afternoon. Scattered about were various people- that they all recognized from the ball for Raven's birthday the month before. The same maid returned, carrying a fresh tray of champagne, which she offered to the students. A moment passed, before Darling, ever the daring one, took a glass, whispering her thanks. Slowly, the others followed suit, before trickling to free spots to sit or stand, falling into conversation with the others in the room as they did so. Many of the younger royals remembered the teenagers from the ball and welcomed them with warm smiles and an occasional hug.

Raven and Mika were sitting on the sofa, Raven's legs draped over Mika's lap, one hand resting on her knee; the pair were engaged in deep conversation with Cleon, the twenty-year-old Crown Prince of Vispen. With his red hair and green eyes, he could have passed for Ashlynn's twin. Suddenly, all other conversation quieted down as Cleo- as Raven affectionately called him- spoke up.

"Frankly, Mikalos, I think you've settled yourself too soon."

Mika raised an eyebrow, taking a cracker from a plate on the table and taking a bite. "And how is that?" T

The younger prince shrugged. "Limiting yourself to one woman- no offense, Raven- no matter how phenomenal she is or how long you've known her- again, no offense, Raven- is like limiting yourself to one particular weapon to fight with. Wouldn't it be better to be well-rounded in all forms of weaponry before finding the one you want to use on the battlefield."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Did you just compare me to weaponry, Cleo?" The prince blushed, quickly sipping his drink.

"See, that's where you're wrong, Cleon. It's not possible to limit yourself to a single weapon, because you have to be well-schooled in all of them. And as for one woman," He glanced at Raven. "I couldn't be happier with only one. She's the best thing to ever happen to me, and I wouldn't trade her for all the apples in Ever After." A small smile tugged at Raven's lips, and she leaned forward, kissing him softly.

"I agree with Mikalos." Every head turned to Darling, who had taken a seat by the fire, her champagne glass in her hands. "In order to be a well-rounded fighter of any kind, one has to know every weapon out there, so that they can be prepared for anything." Mika raised his glass at the girl, who grinned, lifting her chin in pride.

"Here, here!"

"And since when is one woman a bad thing?" Hunter asked, now intrigued by the debate. "Men have settled for one woman for centuries, why change now?"

"You forgot Hunter, that Cleo here is going to be a perpetual _bachelor_ for the rest of his life." Raven replied, sipping her champagne. Cleon made a face at her, and Raven returned it with a laugh.

"If we're to be honest with ourselves, then every dynasty here was started by one man and one woman." Petlier, the oldest of Andorilia's twin princes spoke up. Aada, who had seemed to develop a slight crush on the seventeen-year-old at the ball, blushed when he turned his grey gaze to her.

"So what about fairy tales?" Cerise asked, and the entire sitting room fell silent. She'd accepted a glass and then slunk off to the shadows to stand by Mira and observe, as she was used to doing at school- or, had been, until Raven came along. The redheaded adviser simply raised an eyebrow, before understanding and sipping her own champagne. She wasn't necessarily uncomfortable with these kind of functions, but she was so used to standing back and taking in every little detail, that it had become habit. She glanced at the young red-cloaked woman, furrowing a brow

It was evident that the children of the other royals houses believed as Raven and Mika did- that fairy tales were simply stories to be read to children. As she looked upon the teenage and young adult children of the Seven Kingdoms, she realized that none of them knew the proper thing to say, for they'd never faced such a question before- not even Raven. "If fairy tales are 'dynasties' as you call them, then what about a fairy tale that breaks the rules?"

"Where the heroine falls in love with the Big Bad Wolf, perhaps?" Raven asked, removing her legs from Mika's lap and curling into his side, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Not possible. Fairy tales are just stories, for one. And for another, if that were to happen-" Aqiztar, the oldest of the children of Minlex stopped, her voice as soft as silk. She wasn't sure. Cerise glanced at Raven, setting her champagne glass down and reaching for the ends of her hood.

"Cerise, what are you doing?" Raven whispered, catching her friend's gaze.

Cerise slowly lowered her hood, releasing a nervous breath. "Seriously. You're all royal, all rulers or will be rulers some day. If, hypothetically speaking, fairy tales are 'dynasties', then what would happen if one broke the rules? Like Raven said, say it was _Little Red Riding Hood_ , and she married the Big Bad Wolf?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia**

Eyes widened and mouths dropped. And not just from the other children of the Seven Kingdoms but from her friends, all except Raven, Mika and Cedar, who, being Cerise's roommate, had known about the ears not long after they first met, and had somehow managed to keep her mouth shut.

"Are... are those..."

"Real?" Cerise finished for Laia, who dropped into the other armchair beside the side of the sofa Raven was sitting on. Cerise had moved to stand by the fire when she unveiled her ears, and now the heat from the flames could really be felt. She nodded, a blush coloring her cheeks. "Yeah, they are. My parents are Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf."

More silence. It was starting to get tedious. After a moment, Veryu, Aqiztar's younger brother, made his way towards her. He circled her for a moment, before reaching out to gently brush his fingers over her ears before stopping. "May I?" She nodded, meeting his hazel gaze. Everyone seemed to hold their breath, before he stepped back. "You're a hybrid. A mixture of two cultures, two people from very different worlds, regardless of whether your father is part werewolf." Cerise's eyes widened, surprised at such a dignified response. "You are what Mikalos and Ravenna's children will be some day- a child of two worlds. The only different between you and their future children is that they come from the same ruling class, and I'm guessing your parents didn't."

"My mother grew up in the village. Her father was a carpenter. I... haven't had the guts to ask my dad where his family comes from." She whispered. The teenager nodded, giving her a small smile.

"You have nothing to fear, not in the Seven Kingdoms- or, well, six." He turned to Raven, who shook her head.

"She has nothing to fear here. Marberly is not like Ever After. Our traditions and our customs may be steeped in the ancient times, our religion may be paganistic and ritual in practice, but we don't turn away those who seek asylum and have a good reason for requesting. Should you ever need shelter, Cerise, Marberly will give it to you." Raven spoke softly, a queen addressing a subject on a personal level. The others nodded.

"Vispen as well." Cleon added.

"And Hestav."

"Minlex also."

"Andorilia will not turn you away."

"Palmarneae will also give you asylum, if you so choose." Mika added, sipping his drink. Tears came to Cerise's eyes as she studied the others, taking in the gazes and the words of the royal children. Most of them didn't know her, had only met her once before or were meeting her for the first time, and already, she had received more acceptance for being her true self than she _ever_ would have in Ever After. She whispered a soft 'thank you' quickly wiping at her eyes.

Slowly, the questions were being asked; what fairy tales they 'came' from, what their true passions were, if they truly believed in 'Happily Ever After' as the storybooks said. The students answered the questions as best they could or wanted to, and soon, things began to loosen up to the point that Cerise and the others were quite enjoying themselves.

And then the page showed up.

Raven had since returned her legs to their place over Mika's lap, and was nursing a second glass of champagne as she debated the merits of weaponry with Hunter. A throat cleared, causing all conversation to stall, and Raven looked up. "Yes? Is everything all right?"

The young man stood by the door he'd slipped through, an apology flashing through his eyes at having to interrupt the evening. "The Duke of Handoreli is here, Your Majesty. He wishes to speak with you."

The queen groaned in annoyance, quickly downing her champagne glass and setting it on the table. After a moment, the man nodded to her, slipping out of the room. She peeled her legs from Mika's lap, taking a deep breath before standing. "I may need another drink before this is all over- or even after the man leaves."

The others shared glances, before Cleon reached out, grabbing her wrist as she moved past. "The Duke of Handoreli? He's _still_ trying to-"

"Get me to marry him?" She finished. "Yeah. And he's going to keep trying, until either he dies or I die, whichever comes first. Frankly, I'm hoping it'll be him." She gently shook his hand off and smoothed her skirt, moving around the table, only to stop as the door opened and the Duke entered.

"Ah, Your Majesty!" He bowed extravagantly, and Raven grit her teeth.

"Duke. You _dare_ interrupt me on the eve of my wedding?"

"Wedding?" The man looked confused for a moment, his gaze taking everything and everyone in, before lighting on Mika for the briefest of seconds. "Ah, yes, your... _wedding_..." With his long, greying brown hair and exceedingly thin figure, the Duke reminded the majority of the occupants in the room of a sleazy walking skeleton. He was before her in two strides of his long legs, snatching her hand from its place folded within the other and pressing his lips to it, lingering for several minutes, his dark eyes latching onto Raven's small chest before slowly moving up to meet her gaze.

She forcefully pulled her hand away, laughing nervously. "What do you want, Duke? If you are here to ask for my hand, or demand that I stop the wedding and instead marry you, you can forget it. I will never give you my hand in marriage, so you may as well stop asking. I am marrying Prince Mikalos in twenty-four hours' time, and nothing you say or do will change my mind or stop it. Am I clear?"

"But Your Majesty-"

Raven held up a hand. _"Am I clear?"_

He forced a smile, gaze darting to Mika, who had stood, making his way to her, to protect her, until Cleon grabbed his arm, reminding him softly that Raven was a grown woman and could take care of herself. He narrowed his gaze, never taking it off the young prince, even as he spoke to Raven. "Of course, Your Majesty. As clear as the finest Handoreli crystal." Slowly, his gaze returned to hers. "I'll take my leave. I'm sorry for interrupting you."

And then he turned, heading for the hall, but stopped in the doorway. As if in thought, he turned back, gaze once more going to Mika. When he spoke, his voice was cold, and it sent Raven's heart stalling. "You had better plan on enjoying what little time together you will have after the ceremony, Your Majesty. You never know when fate will deem to step in and steal it away."


	4. Chapter 4

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia**

"I get that weddings are supposed to be like, a huge deal, but what's with all the..." Cerise couldn't even think of an appropriate word to describe the flurry of activity taking place in the kitchens. That morning, everyone had gathered in the grand dining hall for breakfast; it had been a lively affair- every form of pastry, omelet, warm drink, meat and non-meat dish available for the taking. The royals from the six other kingdoms were also staying at Redarnia, having been put up in the North wing, unlike Raven's friends who had been put up in the West, near her, though Raven and the girls had spent the night before catching up and gossiping, as teenage girls often did.

Mira smiled softly with a roll of her eyes and sipped her orange juice. "You've never attended a royal wedding, have you?"

"I've never attended a _wedding_. _Period._ " Cerise clarified, taking a bite of her steak.

"It does seem... excessive, even for a royal wedding." Ashlynn added, sipping her tea.

The Good King chuckled from his place at the head of the table, gaze darting to his daughter, who had reluctantly taken the seat at the other end. She was engrossed in soft conversation with his soon-to-be-son-in-law; he reached over, taking her hand and playing with the pendant around her wrist as he spoke. Raven's gaze lit up and a soft laugh escaped her, before he leaned close, kissing her softly. A steward softly cleared his throat, and the pair pulled apart. The young man leaned down, whispering softly in Raven's ear, and her eyes widened in surprise briefly before she met Mika's gaze. He nodded, standing and helping her out of her chair. Raven caught Mira's gaze, and without a word, the adviser stood, excusing herself softly. She joined the pair, and the three quickly and quietly conversed in a mixture of Palmarneaen and Marberlian- for all three were fluid in several languages, as was to be expected from the children of nobility. Raven then softly uttered an apology, saying something about the High Priestess arriving and wishing to speak with her and Mika, and that Mira was to be there to make sure everything was set and to offer advice. Once excused, the three hurried from the dining room, leaving everyone else with the Good King.

"Palmarneae and Marberly are the two strongest kingdoms in the south, Miss Hood. Mikalos and Raven's marriage will unite the countries- not necessarily into one through land, but in other ways." Cleon replied, setting his mug down. "Political alliances are perhaps more important than any other alliance."

"Ever After doesn't have any political alliances." Briar stated, poking at her scrambled eggs. "She sits alone, one gigantic country in a sea of-" She stopped, and the young man met her gaze.

"For all her land, Ever After is pretty secluded to herself, isn't she?" He asked, and Briar nodded.

"You have _no idea,_ Your Highness." Hunter scoffed with a shake of his head.

"Cleo, please. Any friends of Raven's are friends of mine." The young man gave the prince a wiry grin. "This marriage- this _wedding_ , I should say- is a long time coming. It's what the Six Kingdoms have been dreaming of, from the moment Raven was born and the King and Queen of Palmarneae came to meet the newborn princess." The Good King lowered his head; he knew that he was partially to blame for the long wait in regards to this marriage.

"And all the... chaos?" Nicola asked, taking a bite of her toast.

"What is chaos to the fly is normal for the spider. I believe that's the saying." Laia replied, picking up her mug. "Both countries have their own customs, but because Raven is Queen of Marberly, it's her traditions that are followed. The country in which one partner holds the crown is who's traditions are followed."

"What... traditions?" Aada asked, glancing around the table, and it was now that the Good King spoke up.

"Every Marberly witch has married her groom at the midnight hour; magic is at its strongest. And on Friday, a full moon will be out, which means the magic of the ceremony will be made even stronger."

"Magic ceremony?" Cedar asked, furrowing a brow. Aada glanced around the table, before it clicked.

"Raven said something about a High Priestess. The ceremony... I've studied it before; my parents partook in it when they were married. It's a... witching knot, isn't it? All the pomp and circumstance and tradition, it's part of a witching knot."

"What's a witching knot?" Cerise raised an eyebrow, and Aada took a deep breath.

"It's... it's a ceremony that binds a witch and a mortal together- for all eternity."

"So... a wedding?" Hunter replied.

"Kind of." Aada thought a moment. "It has _aspects_ of a wedding ceremony, but a lot of the traditions are almost reminiscent of how a coven practices. Taking place during a full moon is one of them-"

"Because spells are stronger when practiced under a full moon." Cerise finished, remembering what Raven had told her when she first discovered the young monarch sneaking out of the dorms at night. Aada nodded.

"Right. And often, traditions from the witch's coven or religion will be incorporated-"

"The four cornhusk dolls that will be tossed into the bonfire," The Good King replied, impressed that this young witch recognized the ceremony his daughter was going to partake in. The offerings after the ceremony and the handfastening as well. There are a couple others, but you'll have to ask Raven about those." He glanced around at all of them before finally standing; everyone climbed to their feet, but he waved them to return to their seats. "If you'll excuse me, I have a couple things to attend to." And with that, he was gone.

Slowly, the table began to empty, the others had correspondences they needed to get out or things they needed to get done until it was just the students from Ever After High. Silence settled around them; each head turned when Cook entered, with a couple maids to get the plates. "You all look a little lost." The students shared sheepish glances and the she chuckled. "Come into the kitchens. I've got hot chocolate and if there is anything you wish to know at all about Marberly or Ravenna, feel free to ask."

Given the cold conditions outside- for today was colder than the day before had been- and the prospect of hot chocolate and stories from Raven's childhood, the offer was too good to pass up.


	5. Chapter 5

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia**

Laughter filled the kitchen, as Cook told them of a six-year-old Raven, chasing after a ten-year-old Mikalos, begging him to play 'house' with her. The older woman sighed, a wistful look coming over her features. "After tomorrow, they won't be playing anymore. It'll be real."

"If you don't mind me asking," Cedar started once the laughter had died down. "But... what exactly is going to happen tomorrow? I mean... it's just a ceremony, right? They exchange vows and rings and kiss."

"Just a ceremony? Oh, child. Tomorrow is more than just a simple wedding ceremony. Tomorrow is the day that Ravenna and Mikalos will become husband in wife, not just spiritually or ceremonially, but physically as well."

Cedar's brow furrowed. "Physically?"

The woman nodded, as a scullery maid quickly removed a fresh loaf of bread from the oven and covered it with a cloth to cool. The older woman removed the dough she'd mixed from the bowl and sprinkled flour over it, working her hands into the soft concoction to knead it. "Yes, as men and women often do together."

It was then that the students exchanged confused glances. "Um... _Together_?" Darling ventured tentatively.

Cook stopped her kneading, turning soft brown eyes to them, drinking in the confusion on their faces. "No one has ever... explained the ways of the flesh to you? Any of you?" The students shared embarrassed glances, all blushing red at Cook's question. Such matters were not discussed nor even _considered_ in Ever After. Sexual Education was not taught in schools, and therefore, that left the teenage population left to struggle with uncertain feelings and developing changes that no one knew how to really address. A moment passed, before the older woman chuckled softly, taking pity on them.

"Here in Marberly, we are more _aware_ , more _accepting_ of sexuality and what it entails. The act of intimacy is strictly between a man and a woman who have chosen to be together for all eternity; in ancient times adulterers and adulteresses were put to death. Now they are shunned. Children may explore their sexuality when their minds begin to become aware of themselves and others. Sex is considered very personal to all involved, and intercourse even more so- not only the _act_ of intercourse, but the act of childbirth- both are very intimate processes."

"What do you mean... _intimate_?" Briar asked, as Nicola took a sip of her hot chocolate, cheeks beet red, beside her. Cook studied the young princess, a small smile on her face. She dusted the dough in flour again before continuing her kneading.

"On the day of the wedding, after Mikalos and Ravenna have not only shared their vows but been fastened together- hand-fastened-" She clarified at the looks. "They will throw the four cornhusk dolls into the bonfire's flames- they represent the four faces of the Goddess, the four aspects she looks for when granting a marriage-"

"What are they?" Briar whispered, hands wrapped around her mug.

"Love, loyalty, honor and unity." Everyone turned as Mira entered the kitchen, a notepad in her grasp. "Would you be willing to look over a couple things on the menu, Cook? Raven wanted your approval before she agrees to it, after all, you _are_ in charge of the feast." The older woman nodded with a smile, clapping the flour off her hands and accepting the pad with the list on it. She was silent for several minutes, crossing things off or adding things on. Once done, she turned back to the students.

"Once those are thrown into the bonfire- by doing so, Mikalos and Ravenna are showing that they will honor the Goddess by allowing those four aspects into their married life- anyway, once those are thrown into the fire, they will slip off to a small encampment not far from where the reception will take place."

"Wait," Ashlynn set her cup down. "They're going to miss their own reception?"

"The beginning of the reception is more of a... a place for the guests to mingle while the bride and groom give their offerings to the Goddess." Mira replied, setting her notepad down and taking a seat at the table, accepting a mug Cook set before her.

Cerise raised an eyebrow. "Offerings?"

Mira nodded.

"Are they other dolls?" Cedar asked innocently, and Mira snorted softly.

"Those specific offerings are a little more... personal. Strictly between the bride and groom."

"What could _possibly_ -" Hunter stopped, his eyes widening as Ashlynn turned to him.

"Honey, what is it?"

Mira smirked as Cook chuckled softly. "I think he finally got it."

"Got what?" Nicola asked, as confused as the rest of the girls, even as Hunter's cheeks colored bright red and he glanced at his girlfriend.

Mira sighed. These things may not be discussed in Ever After, but they were in Marberly now- even if only for the wedding- and it would be better if they learned now rather than later. "The majority of the guests at the reception will be keeping an ear finely tuned to the encampment not far away." She replied, lifting the mug to her lips again.

 _"Why?"_ Cedar asked, Briar slowly began to put the pieces together.

"Wait... you don't mean-" Mira nodded. "So... so during the reception, Raven and Mikalos will be... _having sex_?" She whispered, as though the very term would bring about the end of the earth. Another nod.

"It's tradition that immediately after the ceremony, the bride and groom slip away to 'prepare' the next offerings that will be thrown onto the fire for the Goddess. In ancient times, the groom was required to taste the bride's 'virgin blood' before the high priestess- a nasty little custom that has thankfully fallen out of favor in recent years. In its place, the first act between them will be sex- _oral_. Her arousal is to be tasted before her blood is spilt. It's a funny little tradition who's meaning has been lost to recent memory, but kept none the less. Once her arousal is tasted, then the barrier between her legs can be broken through penetration. Once that's done, the sheet that's stained with her blood and the fluid from her arousal is to be thrown into the fire, an offering and a thank you to the Goddess."

"That's..."

 _"Disgusting."_ Hunter choked out, finishing Briar's hanging sentence. Mira chuckled, rolling her eyes.

"That's tradition." She set her mug down. "Once Raven's blood has been spilt and the offering made, they'll join the reception. From that moment on, it's nothing but a party."

"So... what? We all just listen as they have sex for the first time?" Cerise asked, horrified.

"These _could_ have been ancient times." Mira replied. "Back then, there was no enclosure, the act was done once the vows were exchanged and they were fastened together- on the marriage platform, before the entire court." The horrified looks made her laugh at their innocence, and she set her mug down after finishing, grabbing the notepad. "What do they teach you in Ever After? Do you know anything at all about the human body or the nature or stimulation of sex?" And without another word, she was gone, heading back upstairs to the sitting room, where Raven was still in talks with the High Priestess in regards to the ceremony, Mika by her side. Cook returned to her kneading, letting her thoughts gather before speaking.

"Ravenna is a smart young woman. She knows what she's doing. And she loves Mikalos and he, her. They are well suited to each other, not just in temperament or skill or love, but in body as well. She was always meant for him, from the time they were children. Mikalos is a strong young man, he will care for her in ways no other man would be able too. He knows her, he honors her, he _loves_ her; that is rare _quality_ in a man of his age. And he wants her for _her,_ not her throne or crown. He sees no value in a country he does not belong in, except that it is hers to rule, and so he will marry her, and live with her and create a life with her. Too few men nowadays want a woman for herself- they see the _ruler_ , not the woman. He sees the _woman_ , not the ruler sitting on the throne."

"He won't be king, then?" Darling asked, brow furrowing. Cook shook her head.

"He will be her consort, but he will not rule by her side. He will share her bed, but not her war room- unless she asks him too. When it comes to court, or state visits, or anything of that nature, he will be by her side, but he will have no power. He wishes for none."

"He simply wants to be her husband." Ashlynn said, understanding now. Cook nodded.

"He will be by her side when she gives birth to her heir, he will be involved in the child's upbringing; his role in her life will be that of partner, lover, husband and father. King is not one of them."

"But her father-"

"Her father took over the throne after Ravenna's mother was taken away. Marberly had to have a ruler, and Ravenna was too young- she was merely six-years-old at the time. It was a rare circumstance." She returned to kneading the bread dough. "Prince Mikalos has always had a unique understanding of his place in life. He's always understood where he belongs and what he's meant to do and be. And it's always revolved around Ravenna. She _is_ his whole world."

It was Ashlynn who spoke up next. "Raven said that when he was dismissed from Ever After High, he asked Headmaster Grimm to let her stay and finish her year. That it wasn't her fault, but his. He took the blame, even though, technically, it was both of them."

The older woman smiled softly. "That sounds like Prince Mikalos. For his family, he will bend over backwards, but for Ravenna..." She sighed. "For Ravenna, he will _die_ , if it means keeping her safe."


	6. Chapter 6

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia**

The winter air chilled her skin, not that she noticed nor seemed to care. It pushed the swing she sat on- the same swing her mother had fallen off of when she was pregnant- swaying it gently back and forth. She knew that everyone was probably looking for her, but at the moment, it didn't matter. Something had been bothering- it had tugged at her all last evening and all this morning, to the point that after the girls had all gone to bed, she'd slipped out of her own room and gone to Mika's.

Without a word, he'd pulled back the covers and shifted over, allowing her to climb up beside him, settling herself against his chest before he wrapped the blankets around her and held her close. He hadn't said a word, simply kissed her forehead and nuzzled her hair, sleeping claiming him once more. It had taken her longer, though the steady rhythm of his heart in her ear had helped.

 _"You had better plan on enjoying what little time together you will have after the ceremony, Your Majesty. You never know when fate will deem to step in and steal it away."_

The Duke's words sent shivers down her spine and turned her stomach sour. It was very evidently a threat- not just made to a ruling monarch, but to a member of the Palmarneae royal family. A threat that Raven, in her anxiety over the wedding, feared would come true.

She'd told Mika that morning, after waking in his arms, about her fears; he'd listened, before kissing her softly, promising that nothing would happen to him, to them, that they would be okay, and that it was just an old man's way of scaring a young woman in hopes of getting her to bow to his will and give in to his demands. _"Nothing will happen, Nevermore. I promise. I'm not going anywhere and neither are you. He's just trying to scare you to get what he wants."_

"Everyone's wondering where you'd gone." She looked up as Mika made his way towards her, his coat unbuttoned on his sturdy form. With a soft sigh, he knelt before her, reaching out to lay a hand on her knee. "Just needed to get away?" She nodded, not trusting her voice. "I fully understand." He straightened, and she shifted to the side; the wooden swing was big enough for two. Silent, she watched as he walked around it until he was behind her, and took a seat, so that he faced her. The wood creaked lightly; it had been years since weight had been placed on it.

His blue gaze studied her; the blue and white pinstripe dress she wore softly complimented her pale skin, and she wore her hair down, the sides pulled back and held with a white ribbon. The black of her cloak made her deathly pale, and yet, it only added to her beauty. They sat in silence for several minutes, before she finally decided to break it. " _Mika, I'm scared._ " She met his gaze, and he reached up, caressing her cheek, letting her get her thoughts together before responding. "What if it comes true? The Duke's threat? What... what if something happens tomorrow? What if I lose you-"

"Shh, shh, Raven, hush." He rested his forehead to hers, taking her face in his hands now and gently stroking her cheeks. " _Nothing's_ going to happen tomorrow, except that we're going to get married. The day we've hoped for for years is finally going to happen and we're going to become husband and wife. Like we always dreamed of." She smiled softly. "And after the wedding ceremony, we're going to make love, and I will do my best to make sure every part of you is satisfied, before we join our family and friends for the reception."

"You always satisfy me, Mikalos." She whispered, reaching up to cover his hands with hers. Her violet eyes turned worried, and she frowned. "I just-" She shook her head, and he pulled her into his arms, holding her close.

"It was just a threat, sweetheart. Just an empty threat made by a jealous little man-"

"An empty threat is still a threat, my husband." She whispered against his bicep. He kissed her head, taking a deep breath. The chill of the winter air settled over his skin, and he buried his face in her hair, holding her close.

"He is a man that is of no consequence to us, my love." He replied, nuzzling his nose against her hair. "And we mustn't let him ruin this." He pulled away, meeting her gaze. "Our wedding ceremony is tomorrow. Today is the last day we will both be single, and we need to enjoy it." She shook her head.

"We have never been single, Mikalos. Even when we were apart, we still belonged to each other. We will always belong to each other."

"In life and in death." He replied, leaning down to press a soft kiss to her lips. "Nothing, not even Death, will tear us apart." He lifted her hands, pressing firm kisses to her knuckles. "Of that, I promise. Death himself will not keep me away from you, will never keep me away. Even in the hereafter, we will find each other." He kissed her knuckles again and then pulled her close, kissing her deeply, sliding his arms around her waist, beneath her cloak. Gently, he brushed his tongue against the soft skin of her lower lip, and willingly, she allowed him entry. He tightened his arms around her waist, and she wrapped her arms tight around his neck. Their tongues brushed together in a familiar dance they'd done a thousand times before, though this time, this kiss felt different.

Perhaps it was because in ten hours, they would officially be married. Perhaps it was because they knew that the next time they shared a kiss, it would be after vows were made and rings exchanged, when the High Priestess declared them husband and wife before their family and friends, beneath the full moon, before the ever watchful eyes of the Goddess. Perhaps it was because the next kiss they would share- after the ceremony- would be when they finally made love in the small encampment not far from the reception. Or perhaps it was because the next time they awoke in each others' arms, there would be rings on their fingers, signifying their marriage having taken place.

But either way, not matter what the reason, this kiss was different.

He slowly pulled away, meeting her gaze, before bringing her wrist up and pressing a kiss to the pendant that dangled from it. "I will always be here. Not even Death will keep me from you, Ravenna. I am, and always will be, yours. Forever. _This_ is my unbreakable vow."

She released a soft breath, smiling, as she reached up to caress his cheek, before throwing her arms back around his neck and kissing him deeply once more.


	7. Chapter 7

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia**

She took a deep breath, glancing at the clock on her nightstand.

Ten p.m.

The ceremony was at midnight, which meant she had two hours- and those two hours would be filled with traditions and preparations and excitement. "Your Majesty?"

Etina stood in the bathroom doorway, a towel folded in her arms. The young royal nodded, getting up. She joined the young maid, slowly untying the belt of her robe as a voice was heard, followed by a knock. "Yes?"

After a moment, the door opened, and Cerise poked her head in. "Raven?" The young queen stood with her back to the girl, hair piled on top of her head and secured with bobby pins. "We were wondering-"

She nodded. "Come in."

"You'll have to excuse Her Majesty, Misses. She needs to get ready-"

"I thought the ceremony was at midnight." Cedar spoke softly.

"It is, but the preparations begin two hours before. It's tradition." The small group parted as Mira entered the bedroom, a small box in her hands. "The apothecary sent these over, Raven." The young monarch glanced at her adviser over her shoulder, and nodded. "Wild orange, peppermint, clove, cinnamon, and rose hips." She handed the box to Etina, who turned and made her way into the bathroom; a moment passed before Raven followed.

"Where are you going?" Nicola asked, her curiosity piqued. Mira sighed in annoyance, but beckoned the girls to follow; the bathroom was almost as big as Raven's room, complete with a shower and a tub, as well as enough space to fit several people. Steam rose up from the water in the bath, and after a moment, Raven slowly removed her robe. It pooled at her feet, and she allowed Etina to help her in. "A bath?"

"It's ritual, Miss." Etina replied, as Raven wrapped her arms around her legs and allowed the maid to quickly and expertly remove the bobby pins from her hair. The black locks cascaded down her back in messy waves, and after a moment, she settled back, sinking into the water with a sigh. "The oils are for her skin, to help with the stress and anxiety; the cinnamon is mixed into the shampoo to not only help it to shine, but to make it easier to work with once dry."

"This whole ceremony is about ritual and tradition, isn't it?" Cerise asked, curling up on the floor.

"I'm a witch, the last of the Marberly line. Even if I _wasn't_ the queen, my wedding would be ritual and tradition, because the Marberly witches are steeped in tradition and ritual. It's how we've been able to last as long as we have." Raven replied deadpan, leaning her head back and closing her eyes, trying to let the oils do their job and relax her. She could hear Etina mixing the cinnamon into the shampoo, and then sat up at her gentle urging. Taking a deep breath, she ducked down, disappearing under the water for a moment before breaking through the surface again. She released a breath, sitting back and allowing Etina to work the cinnamon shampoo through her hair; once it was lathered and washed, warm water was used to rinse it. After, Etina helped Raven out of the bath, wrapping the robe around her small body and taking a towel to quickly dry her hair.

Mira, meanwhile, had pulled the dress out and laid it across the end of the bed. Upon seeing it, Briar furrowed a brow. "Hey, Raven? Where's your wedding dress?"

"That is my dress."

The young Beauty turned to her, horrified. " _That's_ your dress?" Raven nodded. "But... that's not a dress, that's a... a nightgown or a... a shift."

Raven raised an eyebrow at her friend as Mira continued laying out what would be required. "It's a dress." Her friend took a seat at the vanity as Etina picked up the brush and began running it through Raven's drying locks.

"But where are the designs?"

"Designs?" Mira raised an eyebrow. Briar nodded.

"You know, designs? Patterns? Lace and glitter and rhinestones and things that make a wedding dress a wedding dress."

"Oh. Those." Mira nodded in understanding, glancing at Raven, who met her gaze in the mirror. "Wedding dresses like those can be worn if the bride is not a magic user, or of the Marberly line."

"Wait... so every woman in Raven's line has-"

Raven nodded. "Every woman of my line has worn this dress or a dress very similar on their wedding day. Though each bride can take liberties with her jewelry and hair, the dress remains the same, or as close to the same as possible." Once her hair was brushed, Etina let her stand. The girls settled on the bed, watching as Etina helped her dress- in a chemise, that was off the shoulder, and a pair of drawers that reached and gathered at her knees. A corset was then added- more to accent the figure than anything- and Raven released a breath, as the stays were tied. She then allowed Etina and Mira to help her into the dress, before returning to take a seat at the vanity and allowing her hair to be put up.

In all honesty, Raven was relieved. She was relieved that her wedding was following tradition, relieved that she didn't have to fuss about the dress and if the detailing or designs were to her specifications. She was relieved to not have to worry about her dress, and instead could focus solely on the wedding, and the events that led up to and after the ceremony, as well as the ceremony itself. While most little girls dreamed of their ideal wedding dresses- the designer, the cut and fabric and style- Raven hadn't. She had known from the time she was a little girl and old enough to grasp the importance of her life, that she would dress in the traditional gown of a Marberly witch. The dress held significance no one could remember- possibly having to do with purity, if Raven were to guess. It was part of the ritual that was marriage, and the sacred union between two people.

Before they knew it, the two hours were nearly up. Finally finished, Raven stood, turning to face her friends. "Well, what do you think?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia**

Raven's long, thick, jet-black hair- that reached to just past her waist when down- had been done up in a slightly messy and yet elegantly stunning, pancaked double crown braid that lay flat against her head. The simple silver tiara she wore tucked into the braid was crafted of silver in a twist pattern on either side, an amethyst stone in the center, that tied in with the amethyst roses that had been tucked within and around the braid, creating a unique look to Raven and Raven alone.

Her makeup was subtle, her gorgeous violet eyes made to stand out thanks to the black liner Mira'd forced on her- stating that it was the one day she could forgo no makeup in favor of stunning Mika when she got to the platform. Raven relented, letting the idea of Mika standing speechless at the platform content her enough that Mira could finish. Her lips were painted a soft pink, and she wore the pendant around her wrist, as usual. On the inside of her arm- the one without the pendant- were the words _Ekter maritqus gufxei_ \- which roughly translated to 'blessed marriage children' in Raven's native tongue; a spell every witch wrote on her wrist at the time of her wedding in hopes that the Goddess would bless not only her marriage, but bless her and her husband with children one day.

The dress she wore was traditional for a Marberly witch to wear on her wedding- long-trumpet-sleeved, with loose shoulders in an almost off-the-shoulder scoop cut front that was similar to a peasant dress but didn't go too low in a princess cut with a slightly flared skirt that came to the floor. A court train trailed behind it, giving the gown a little extra in place of its simplicity- Raven had compromised on the train; Marberly witches of the past often had a monarch train attached to the gown- Raven's mother had been one of them, and this was her mother's dress- but Raven had put her foot down, insisting on something smaller; this wasn't about the dress, or the train, or how she looked in a dress that had been worn by two previous generations of Marberly witches. This was about her and Mika, _finally_ getting married.

Raven, as the reigning monarch, had insisted on a couple changes to the dress; despite the dress's short history- only having been worn by the two generations before her- Raven felt it needed a couple touch ups- the train being one of them, and the other being the sleeves. Originally, the dress had had a high neck; Raven's mother had lowered it to a scoop neck and changed the tapered sleeves to angel sleeves. Raven, on the other hand, had requested the dress be more rounded in the neck, and the sleeves trumpet- that they just rest on her shoulders, leaving the skin of her upper chest and part of her shoulders exposed. Eventually, she was satisfied with the end result.

Her feet were bare of shoes, for it was common for a daughter of the Goddess to spend her time outside in nature, often wandering barefoot to soak up the energy she felt; a pair of silver and amethyst ankle bracelets that extended over the dorsals- with a loop going around her second toes- decorated her small feet; they were simple, just like her tiara, and were one of the few exceptions to breaking tradition.

Even Briar- who was always up on the latest fashions- had to admit that the simplicity of the dress and the small, personal touches Raven had insisted on, certainly pulled the outfit together. But one thing was bugging her. "What about the veil?"

Raven blushed, but didn't say anything. She turned to Etina, who held the small hand-carved box with the Marberly seal etched into the lid. Mira glanced at Raven's friends from school, before going to the maid and moving to lift the lid, just as a soft knock sounded. Everyone turned, before Mira moved to open the door. "If it's Mika, he's not-"

"It's just your father, Raven." Mira replied, stepping aside to allow the king to enter. Everyone quickly dropped into hasty curtsies, all except Raven, who met her father's gaze.

"Daddy." She swallowed thickly. "What do you think?"

Tears came to the Good King's gaze, and he made his way towards his daughter. "You look beautiful." He turned to Etina. "Have you given her the veil yet?" The maid shook her head, and he nodded, moving past her to gently lift the lid. Everyone watched as he carefully, tenderly, lifted a beautiful, pristine lace veil from the box, before going to his daughter. "Your mother wore this on the day of our wedding. And your grandmother wore it before her. This veil has seen generations of Marberly women marry, going back to Queen Nariea-"

"Zahia's great-great-grandmother." Raven whispered. "The one who encouraged Hestav and Minlex to stop their civil war and separate into two countries." Her father nodded as she lowered her head, allowing him to attach it to the lower back of her braid. Once it was secure, he gently adjusted it over her shoulders, before taking her face in his hands.

"You have the blood of every Marberly woman in your veins, my little blackbird. Every Marberly woman who has worn this has imprinted some small touch of her magic into it; it's your turn now. And tonight, after the ceremony, look at it within the darkness; you will see the generations of your line." She nodded, as he took her face in his hands. "For everything I've done over the years for Marberly, the greatest thing I could have done for her was create you." He studied her, this young woman that had been his little girl, that had been the newborn he'd held eighteen years earlier, when they feared she wouldn't survive. "You are the greatest gift I ever received; the greatest gift your mother and I could ever think to give Marberly. You belong to her as much as she belongs to you. You are her queen, and yet you're so much more than that. You made me the happiest man in the world, and I'm honored to have been your father." He kissed her forehead, and she instinctively closed her eyes. "Oh, Ravenna, my daughter... I love you."

She met his gaze, before throwing her arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder, tears beginning to prick her gaze. "I love you, Daddy."


	9. Chapter 9

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia**

A thousand candles lit up the area where the ceremony was to take place.

Mika glanced nervously towards those gathered to witness their marriage take place; his parents and siblings were seated not far from Raven's friends from school. His father nodded silently to him, and he took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. The High Priestess laid a hand on his back, nodding, and he turned, following her gaze. At first, a mere glimmer of white in the distance, but it soon became more and more apparent what it was as it got closer. He felt the breath leave his body, and for the briefest of moments, felt his heart stall in his chest as he laid eyes on Raven.

Her hands were empty, for she carried no bouquet- for unlike other Marberly brides, Raven wasn't the type who wanted to carry a bunch of dying flowers down the aisle. She came down the aisle on her father's arm; by the time she reached him, Mika's heart had barely started beating again, and he swallowed thickly in an attempt to breathe. The king kissed her softly on the cheek, whispered something in her ear and then moved to take a seat beside Mika's parents.

Joining him on the dais, she turned to face him, a small smile breaking out on her features. The High Priestess watched the couple for a moment, noticing how they seemed to only focus on each other, before she turned to the guests. In a gentle voice, she began, breaking Mika and Raven from their moment. "Marriage is sacred in the Seven Kingdoms. It ensures not only the continuation of the line, but health and welfare of the country." She glanced at the couple again. "But marriage itself goes beyond that. It's the sacred joining of two souls, deciding to partake in the journey of life as one. And Ravenna has been lucky enough to have the Goddess approve her choice of a mate- the marriage of a Marberly witch and a _maertiol_ is perhaps the most sacred of all marriages in Marberly, for it ensures that the magic of her line will continue, and that Mikalos accepts the part of Ravenna that others often fear."

The couple shared a smile, before Raven stepped closer, taking Mika's hands. The priestess then turned, picking something up off the small table she stood beside before turning back. "It's tradition in Marberly for the bride and groom to drink a mixture of honey and soured milk before the vows; this signifies that they will accept all parts of marriage- the good and the bad, the pain and the joy, and that they will be there to support each other through it all." She held the small goblet out, and after a moment, Raven glanced at Mika, who took it, taking a swallow. The young prince made a face, and Raven laughed, before accepting it and doing the same. A moment passed, and she seemed to contemplate actually swallowing it, before she finally did and handed it back to the priestess. Soft laughter cut through the guests at their reactions.

Licking her lips, Raven reached out and took Mika's hands again, turning back to the priestess. The older woman grinned at the pair, before nodding to them. The pair shared a glance, before Mika spoke, gathering his thoughts. Unlike most weddings, a bride and groom were not required to have their vows written beforehand. Vows were meant to be spoken from the heart, in the moment before the handfastening and the rings were exchanged. He took a deep breath, gaze never leaving Raven's.

"You... you are the most amazing thing to ever happen to me. My first real memory of you is being led up to greet your parents during a state visit... your mother was holding you in her arms, and you were about six months old. At the time, I wasn't impressed; I was only five at the time. Can you blame me? As we got older, you became this... _insurmountable_ pain in my neck." Raven laughed, and he squeezed her hand.

"I just saw you as the annoying daughter of my parents' closest allies. You didn't start to have any true significance in my life until I got much older. And then you gave me the pendant before I left, and... I felt like I was leaving my heart behind. Being away from you only made me realize more and more that I was falling in love with you. And then you showed up at Ever After High, and it felt like my world was whole again. You are my true love, the one I wish to spend every day with, until I draw my last breath. You hold my heart, my very soul. I will be your partner, your equal; I belong to you until my last day on this planet, and even after, I will never leave you. I gladly entwine my soul, my heart, my very life, with yours, from now until the end of time."

He slid the simple gold band on her finger, and she smiled softly, before she reached up, gently caressing his cheek. "I never understood the significance you had in my life- I just knew that you were always in my life; the son of the royals of my neighboring country. You were the older brother I could chase after and poke fun at, and then... when you left, suddenly you weren't. And I had to accept the fact that for all these years, I'd fallen in love with you. I wished you'd been at my coronation, that I could have seen you again, tell you how I really felt. And then you challenged me to a sparring match in Hero Training my first day and... suddenly everything was... was right again. Balance had come back into my world, and I realized that I have always loved you, and I could finally tell you. You are the love of my life, and from now until the day I die, no other heart will claim mine. You own my heart, just as I own yours. We are equals in this marriage; the happiness and joy and pain and sorrow we share will be mutual between us. My heart and my very soul are forever entwined with yours, and they will never be separated; for I am yours until the day I die."

She then slid the gold ring onto his finger, as the priestess turned back to the small table, picking up a set four cords- emerald green, amethyst purple, midnight blue and silver- the colors of the two kingdoms. She glanced at each in turn, before turning to the guests. "Handfasting is the ancient tradition of binding two people together in a marriage; the colors of the cords symbolize what shall be brought to the marriage- the colors used tonight symbolize the joining of two countries through this marriage." She glanced at Mika and Raven. "Will you honor and respect one another, and seek to never break that honor?"

The pair shared a glance as they crossed hands so that their wrists crossed. Both nodded, agreeing softly. The woman then draped the first cord over their hands. "And with that promise, the first binding is made." She turned back to them, picking up the second cord. "Will you share each other's pain and seek to ease it?" They nodded, admitting softly that they would. She draped the second cord around their wrists. "And the binding is made." She picked up the third cord- a beautiful cord of amethyst purple. "Will you share the burdens of each other so that your spirits may grow in this union?" As they whispered softly that they would, she draped the cord over their wrists. She picked up the last cord- one of beautiful midnight blue. "Will you share each other's laughter, and look for the brightness in life and the positive and beauty in each other?"

They both nodded, agreeing that they would, and she draped it over their hands as she'd done with the other cords. She then tied the cords, binding them together. "And the binding is made." She glanced at the couple, seeing the eagerness in their eyes, and laughed softly. "By the grace of the Goddess, she has approved this union between Mikalos of Palmarneae and Ravenna of Marberly. She has smiled upon your union, and will hopefully bless it with many, many happy years, filled with laughter and joy and children." The pair shared a glance, before the priestess laughed, nodding. "You may kiss the bride."

Without wasting another moment, Raven threw herself at Mika; their fastened hands made it difficult to wrap her arms around his neck, so she settled for tucking their hands between them as her lips found his. The kiss was deep, passionate, the way first kisses as husband and wife tend to be. Eventually, the pair reluctantly pulled apart, and Raven giggled, as Mika rested his forehead to hers. In a soft whisper, he breathed, _"We're married."_

She nodded, giggling softly before capturing his mouth in another kiss.


	10. Chapter 10

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: So this scene is... smut? Precedes the actual smut? I'm not sure. Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia**

"Wait, so... what are the four dolls for again?" Cerise asked. Mira turned to them.

"They symbolize the four aspects of the Goddess- Love, Loyalty, Honor and Unity. The bride and groom cast them into the bonfire to symbolize that those are the aspects they will carry with them in regards to each other throughout their marriage."

"Is this where they-" Nicola blushed, not letting the words leave her lips. Mira chuckled; the guests had left the small area where the ceremony took place, and now gathered near the reception area. Not far from the reception area was a small tent, where Raven and Mika would partake in the 'spilling blood' ritual. A bonfire roared, crackled and popped not far away, and everyone watched as Raven and Mika stood before the bonfire, each holding a corn husk doll.

"That will happen after the dolls are thrown into the fire." Mira replied, turning back, watching as her best friend, slowly lowered the doll from where it had covered her face, and grinned at Mika. He chuckled, leaning down and capturing her lips in a soft kiss.

And then he took her hand, squeezing gently before watching her toss it into the fire. "Loyalty."

Mika then did the same with his, with a whispered, "Honor." Raven then turned, picking up the other two; she held one out to Mika, who took it with a kiss. He tossed it into the fire, a soft, "Unity" escaping his throat. Raven then turned to him, holding out the other doll. He took one of its arms, while she held the other one, and then they tossed it into the flames, with Raven's softly whispered,

"Love."

Mira turned back to the others. "After they cast the dolls into the fire, they're then expected to partake in spilling blood."

"How? Is it dangerous? Does it hurt?"

Mira smiled ruefully at Nicola's innocence. "It's when the bride's virginity is taken." The girls all blushed or blanched and Hunter looked embarrassed. Being from Ever After, such intimate matters were not discussed, or even mentioned, especially not after marriage. Most couples in Ever After never shared a marriage bed again, after they'd had children.

"And it's during the reception?" Ashlynn asked, the firelight making her pale skin even paler. Mira shook her head.

"Right before the reception begins." She nodded towards the pair, and the others turned, watching as Mika kissed her, taking her hands in his. "There's a purpose behind it. It's done before the reception truly begins because the spilling of the blood are offerings to the Goddess, and the offerings are given immediately after the ceremony, so that the couple will be blessed with a long and happy marriage and hopefully many, _many_ children- it's a way for them to ensure that they understand the gift the Goddess has given them in allowing them to marry, and that they will not take it for granted. Marberly was a touch cannibalistic in her ancient times. Once that's done, then they will join the reception. Were this Palmarneae, Raven and Mikalos would perform the act _before_ the ceremony took place. Everything has a purpose in a wedding like this, from the dress Raven wears to the rituals performed."

They watched as he kissed her softly, before taking her hand in his. With one last kiss, they parted, and quietly snuck past the guests, headed for the small tent not far away.

Once the flaps fell shut behind them, Mika and Raven turned to each other. Their gazes locked briefly, before he leaned down, capturing her lips in a deep kiss. She slid her hands up his chest before they snaked around his shoulders to caress his neck. His arms went around her waist, pulling her too him; she balanced on the balls of her feet, giggling softly as he pulled her closer. Eventually, they broke the kiss, and she met his gaze. "We officially belong to each other now."

He chuckled, knowing that while it didn't quite work like that- they were married, they weren't objects for the other to possess- the sentiment behind her statement was there, and after a moment, he nodded. "We do." And then without another word, he scooped her up, holding her against his shoulder as he carried her towards the bed, despite her squeal of surprise.

Despite the smallness of the tent, the bed was just big enough for them both, and was scented lightly in sandalwood and vanilla, to encourage intercourse. Though neither needed encouragement. He kissed her, drinking her in deeply as he slid his hands down her sides, tugging gently at her dress until it was up around her hips.a As he'd done that afternoon in her bedroom, he gently walked his fingers down her thigh and then up the inside, ducking a couple fingers between her undergarments. Gently, he tugged them down to her ankles and then slipped his fingers between her folds, after having gently rolled the small bundle of nerves between his fingers.

 _"Mhmm... Mika..."_

He smiled softly, kissing her slow and deep before pulling away and moving to settle himself between her legs. Gently, he removed his fingers; he could smell her arousal, taste the wetness on his tongue before he even began.

The young prince didn't pretend to know about sex, not like some young men tried to. He fully admitted that he had no idea in regards to intercourse if what he would do would please her, or if she'd even _want_ to continue having intercourse after the initial act. While he wasn't as skittish as Raven, he was wary, afraid of hurting her or traumatizing her. And Raven had assured him that, while she was worried, she knew that nothing could go wrong, because it was them, and they knew each other.

They trusted each other.

And in reality, if he thought about it, that was really what intercourse was about- trusting your partner enough to allow them physical entrance into your body, the most sacred of temples.

 _"... Mika..."_

Her soft, breathy moan reached his ears and he slowly pulled away, the juice from her arousal strong on his tongue. He quickly wiped his mouth, and she reached up, caressing his cheek. Slowly pushing herself onto her elbows, she pulled him closer. "You've tasted me, now undress me and make me a woman."


	11. Chapter 11

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: So this is the actual _scene_... it's... I'd say high M. So just be warned. As for Apple... maybe. Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia**

The kiss was deep, passionate. Her tongue danced with his, and he felt her hands quickly begin to unbutton his shirt before pushing it off his shoulders. He slowly moved off the bed pulling her with him, never breaking the kiss, as her hands moved to work on his pants. A moment passed before he broke the kiss, gripping the bottom of her dress and slowly pulling it up her body, until he lifted it over her head. Instead of tossing it like any other article of clothing, he laid it gently on the small stool not far from the bed, knowing that the dress had a long history, and not wanting to mar it from their activities or leave it crumpled on the floor, for it wasn't an ordinary piece of clothing. His gaze roved over her small body, taking in the undergarments, and after a moment, he slid a hand along her hip, tugging her close.

"A corset, huh? You want me to work for this?" He grinned, and she rolled her eyes.

"It's tradition, my husband." She whispered, kissing him quickly before pulling away. His hands trailed over her body, fingers moving up towards her neck, hitting each one of the stays like the strings of a guitar. He then trailed his hand back down, reaching around her to quickly untie the stays; his fingers worked slowly to loosen the ribbons, and she released a soft breath as the corset eventually fell away, leaving her in only her chemise, having removed her drawers earlier. With the stiffness of the corset now gone, he was able to trail his fingers over the cloth-covered curves of her body, feeling the soft skin that trailed beneath his fingers, separated only by the chemise.

Soon, however, it too fell away, and they faced each other, bare and exposed in the darkness. A faint glow from the bonfire shone beneath the hem of the tent, but it wasn't enough to illuminate either one of them. Their eyes had since adjusted to the darkness, and after a moment, she let her gaze move over his body, resting at his waist. Her cheeks colored, but she didn't look away. Not this time. There was no embarrassment anymore, no girlish giggles or innocent blushes. She was a grown woman, she'd just married this beautiful man, had become his wife in all but body, and now-

 _Well-endowed indeed_. Subconsciously, she licked her lips, before her teeth slid out to grasp her bottom one. "I'm a _very_ lucky woman." He smirked, one eyebrow raising as she met his gaze. "You _know_ what they say about Palmarneaeian men, don't you?" She asked, resting her hands against his hips as she rose to kiss him.

He snorted softly. "I've heard it." He replied. "I've also heard what they say about Marberlian women."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what do they say?"

He thought a moment, raising his eyes skyward, before, "The curlier a Marberlian woman's pubic hair, the stronger she is in regards to intercourse, pregnancy and childbirth." She grinned, sliding her hands up and her arms around his neck.

"Looks like we're both lucky, then."

A soft chuckle escaped his throat and he nodded, wrapping his arms around her waist before moving them down her hips and cupping her behind. He lifted her into his arms; her legs wrapped around his waist, and her arms went around his neck as his lips met hers in a deep kiss. He gently laid her down on the bed, never breaking the kiss as he joined her. Their hands traveled, exploring familiar skin, rediscovering hidden depths and new recesses. They took their time; though they knew the importance of this night, this moment, they took it slow, for they were also discovering each other for the first time, at a whole new level.

He kissed his way down her body, leaving soft flutters of his lips against her porcelain skin, against the soft velvet of her breasts before gently teasing the buds of her nipples with his tongue and then moving to trail kisses down her stomach. He pressed firm kisses to her hips, then the black curls between her legs before moving to trail kisses along the inside of each thigh. He then returned his mouth to hers, drinking in her kiss before,

"Goddess, Nevermore... do you even realize what you do to me?" She giggled softly, lifting her hips slightly to meet his. She could feel him against the inside of her thigh, and she swallowed softly. He was thick, and became even thicker when aroused. For the very briefest of moment, she let the worry that they wouldn't fit together cross her mind, but she quickly shook it away. "Hey." She looked up as he reached to brush a loose strand of hair out of her eyes. "You okay? You look like you're worried about something."

She bit her lip, before giving him a quick upturn of her lips. "Just..." She sighed. "I know it's going to _hurt_ -"

"I'll be as gentle as I can be, Nevermore." He whispered, resting his forehead to hers. She nodded, reaching up to caress his cheek.

"I know you will be." She mouthed softly, resting her forehead to his, her eyes closing. They lay together like that for several minutes, relishing in the feel of each other, both allowing their fears to come to light- spoken or not- before they finally broke apart. She kissed him, sliding her arms up and around his neck, fingers tangling in his hair. He nudged his nose against hers, meeting her gaze briefly.

"You ready?" She nodded, leaning up to kiss him firmly. She pulled away, releasing her arms from around his neck as he stood and made his way over to where her dress lay. He removed something from the small box that lay beneath it, and then returned to the bed. Raven pushed herself onto her elbows, violet eyes watching intently as he slid the sheath along his length, before her gaze darted back up to meet his. A moment passed, before she lifted her hips, pushing them up, but he took hold of them, pressing her gently back down, fingers finding purchase on her hips. Silence filled the space between them, as he studied the girl before him- no, not a girl. Raven had stopped being a girl the moment she reached puberty. Her small, lithe figure had gone from skinny and almost rail-straight to soft curves that teased and taunted the boys at school- curves that more than one of her male classmates at Ever After High had let their gazes rove over in almost overpowering teenage lust.

Mika wouldn't pretend that watching the boys at Ever After High hungrily drink in the figure of his wife set his hackles rising. While he understood teenage desire, he wasn't keen on even considering sharing Raven with the boys at Ever After High, for they didn't know how to treat either girls or women, with the exception of perhaps Hunter. But the majority of them-

His ire rose especially at the thought of Dexter Charming kissing his wife that sunny day back in late September; though she'd handled it just fine- even gaining control of her magic and managing to wipe his memory clean of her _and_ enchant him to fall in love with Rosabella Beauty, Briar's cousin- he was still wary of letting her anywhere near the young prince. His gaze roved over her again.

Yes, in his eyes, she was the perfect specimen of womanhood-

"Mika?" He met her gaze as she reached up, caressing his cheek. "What are you thinking, my love?" A moment passed before he shook his head, holding her gaze a moment longer.

"Just... of how absolutely lucky I am to call you mine now, in heart and soul."

She pushed herself onto her elbows, reaching up and sliding her arm around his neck. "And now body." She whispered, capturing his mouth in hers. The kiss was deep, searching, delicious, for the pair. Slowly, she pulled away, meeting his gaze, voice soft. "Take me, my love. I'm ready."

"You're sure?" He asked, and she nodded, kissing him.

"I am."

He nodded and she released her hold on him, settling back against the pillows as he moved, settling himself between her legs. Gently, he reached down, stroking down her hip before reaching up and sliding two fingers between her folds. Clad in a sheath to protect against pregnancy and disease- though neither had anything, they weren't going to take that risk, especially with pregnancy- he guided himself between her folds and gently pushed against the barrier keeping them apart. He met her gaze, and she nodded, biting her lip nervously. "Do it, my love. Break me. Make me a real woman."

He did as she ordered, pushing gently into her, fully aware of his thickness and trying to be gentle. She groaned softly, biting onto her lower lip harder at the pain beginning between her legs. "I'm so sorry, Nevermore-" She cried out, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck, burying her face in his chest, feeling the barrier keeping them apart begin to tear as he pushed further into her. After several minutes, the tearing stopped, and he was inside her; a soft whimper escaped her throat, and he kissed her head, whispering soft apologies to her as they slowly adjusted to being together. Releasing a slow breath, she lay back among the pillows, meeting his gaze as he settled, propping himself onto an elbow, with a soft sigh. "I'm so sor-"

Her fingers on his lips stopped him, and she smiled softly at him. "It's okay. I just need to adjust." She leaned up, capturing his mouth with hers, before feeling his arms slip around her small body. Once they'd adjusted, he met her gaze again, kissing her softly.

"You okay?"

She nodded. "It hurt, at first, but now..." She slid a hand up his chest, gaze following her fingers before she looked up at him. "now it just feels right." A tiny smile tugged at her lips. "Fill me completely, my love." He kissed her softly before doing as she asked, pushing into her. They took it slow, this first attempt at making love, awkward as most first attempts are, before eventually, they fell into an easy, slow rhythm.

At first, her whimpers were soft; breathy little cries that accompanied the pointing and curling of her toes as he went deeper. Those soon gave way to soft moans as she slid her arms around his neck and her hands moved down his back, her short nails scraping gently against his skin. Her knees hugged his waist lightly, and after a moment, she slid a hand down his chest, which he caught with his, bringing to his lips to kiss. Their fingers laced, and he gently lay her hands on either side of her head, leaning down to capture her lips in his.

Eventually, their pace picked up, and she groaned in pleasure as he moved deeper into her. _"Mhmm... Mika..."_

He kissed her deeply, pulling away only briefly to meet her gaze. She smiled softly at him, nudging her nose against his. _"Oh, Raven..."_ He kissed her again, releasing her hands to slide his arms around her small body. As they finally reached that point, their cries mingled together; in the haze that was their wedding day, they briefly heard a few cheers from outside the tent, but ignored them, allowing themselves to be caught up in the passion that engulfed them like a blanket. She dug her nails into his skin as her back arched, her knees squeezing his hips, as she felt him move deep inside her. She felt herself tighten around him.

 _"Oh... Goddess... oh... Mikalos!"_

 _"Ravenna!"_ They screamed for each other, white hot passion exploding behind their eyes as they crossed that peak together. A moment passed, before he leaned down, kissing her softly. _"... look at me..."_

Her orgasm was strong; she clung to him, her violet eyes locking onto his. Very few women experienced orgasm with their eyes open, and Raven evidently fell into that category. He met her gaze; the connection between them was strong, passionate. It was a feeling of completeness, as though they were looking into each others' souls. As they finally came down from their high, he caught her mouth in a tender kiss, nuzzling his nose against hers. "Oh, my beautiful Ravenna of Marberly... Goddess, Ravenna, what do you do to me?"

She let out a breathy giggle, meeting his gaze and nuzzling her nose against his. "Don't you mean Ravenna of Palmarneae now?"

He chuckled softly, brushing a tired kiss to her forehead as he did so. "No. You will always be Ravenna of Marberly, no matter how many years we're married."

She giggled softly, kissing him. "I love you, Mika. I'm so glad to finally be your wife- in every way."


	12. Chapter 12

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia**

The pair quietly slipped out of the tent not long after, fully dressed once more and clutching tight to the sheets. Everyone watched in silence as the pair carried the sheet between them, heading for the bonfire. Without a word, they tossed the sheet onto the flames; Raven giggled softly, before Mika pulled her into his arms and kissed her. The last offering to the Goddess had been made, which meant they could focus on enjoying the rest of the night with their guests, enjoying their reception. Once they pulled apart, he turned to the guests. "Let's have some fun, shall we?"

From then on, it was simply a reception, a party to celebrate the marriage of the young Marberly queen to her prince. Food was eaten, toasts were given, cake cut and music started. At one point, Raven allowed Mika to pull her into his arms on the dance floor, and she laughed as he lifted her up, spinning her around before setting her back on her feet. He gently brushed a loose strand off her cheek, pulling her close and kissing her temple as they swayed softly to the music, his arms going around her waist, as she rested her head against his shoulder, her arms sliding around his neck.

Petlier had pulled Aada onto the dance floor, and Hunter and Ashlynn soon joined the other couples. Nicola was deep in conversation with Aqiztar and Darling, and Cedar had wandered off to chat with Mira. Briar was out on the dance floor with Petlier's brother, which left Cerise by herself, of which she was fine with. "You look about as thrilled to be here as Raven does when she's in meeting with her advisers."

The wolf-child turned, surprised to find Veryu making his way towards her, two glasses of champagne in his hands, one of which he held out to her. She accepted it after only a moment's hesitation. "I... don't do parties. Or weddings."

"Don't worry, you aren't the only one. Your secret's safe with me." She blushed, and he chuckled softly. They sat in silence for several minutes, gazes locked on Raven and Mika, who seemed to sharing an intimate conversation as they swayed back and forth on the dance floor. "They certainly make a beautiful couple." Cerise nodded, sipping her drink. "The children she bears will be the luckiest in all the Seven Kingdoms."

"Why?"

He met her gaze. "Because they'll have Ravenna and Mikalos as their parents." Cerise nodded once. "They're devoted to each other, and that devotion will carry over to their children."

"Oh." The young prince glanced at her, drinking in her profile. She'd done her best to cover her ears without putting the hood of her cloak up; it didn't help that Raven had taken her cloak away, insisting that she wasn't going to have one of her best friends hide behind fabric the entire night. It was her wedding, and she wanted her friends to enjoy the reception, no matter how they looked.

"Why do you hide them?" She stopped, mid-sip, turning to him. "Your ears. Why do you hide them?"

Slowly, she lowered the flute, licking her lips. "Because I'm a freak of nature." She whispered, the words that had been bouncing around in her head for years finally escaping through her mouth. The prince furrowed a brow, before he reached out, brushing her hair behind her ear, fingers gently trailing along the edge. She let her eyes close, as a soft sigh escaped her throat.

"You're not a freak of nature, Miss Hood. You're a normal girl; you simply have a few quirks that make you more unique than most."

Her eyes opened, and she met his gaze. "Cerise. My name is Cerise." He nodded, giving her a small smile.

"I'll make sure to remember that." They stood together, gazes locked, until a voice interrupted them.

"Cerise!" She turned, as Hunter and the girls rushed towards them. "Have you seen Raven and Mika?" A moment passed, before she pointed to the dance floor.

"Last I saw, they were-" It was evident now that the pair were no longer dancing; at some point, while no one was looking, they'd slipped away. The question was, where too?

" _Crap_. How are we going to give it to them now if we can't find them?" Briar asked, running a hand through her curls.

"Give what?"

"It... it's a gift. It took us the entire time during finals to get everything ready, but we finally managed-" The future Sleeping Beauty stopped, suddenly very aware that it wasn't Veryu who'd spoken, and she whipped around, to find Raven and Mika standing behind her, flutes of champagne in their hands. Mika's arm was wrapped loosely around Raven's waist, and she leaned into his side. A smile of relief crossed Briar's features. "We have something for you."

The couple shared a glance, confusion crossing their faces as they watched Briar dig around in the small handbag she held on her wrist. A moment passed before she finally pulled out a scroll; it was tied with a red ribbon, as though it'd been rolled up and tied just the hour before. She held it out to Raven, who glanced at her husband and then handed him her glass, taking the scroll. Slowly, the other royal children gathered around, curious as to the scene unfolding before them at the reception.

"What is it?" Raven shook her head at her husband's question as she gently tugged the ribbon off.

"I don't-" She unrolled it, feeling him pull her closer as he read silently over her shoulder. "It's a... petition?" A moment passed, before Raven's voice rang out loud and clear, silencing all in attendance, who turned to listen. "'By personal request, we, the student body of the boarding school of Ever After High, feel it is impertinent that one of our most beloved professors was removed from the school at the demand of a single student, that of Apple White. We believe that it is within _our_ best interests, as well as the interests of the generations that come _after_ us, and is therefore of the utmost importance, that Professor Mikalos, Prince of Palmarneae, be returned to the post that he had so graciously and humbly held for the last six years- being that of our Hero Training professor. The lessons Professor Mikalos teaches are more than just the proper ways to face an opponent in combat; they are how to accept a challenge with grace and humility, that to show weakness is to show the truest part of yourself, and that, no matter the station in life, everyone is deserving of the chance to follow their own path, and that they may do so with courage and the true strength of the strongest warrior. We thereby humbly request that Professor Mikalos be allowed to return to Ever After High, to return as our Hero Training instructor, and as a beloved member of the school faculty. So says we, the undersigned, students of the Ever After High boarding school.'"

Raven's gaze scanned down the list of signatures, many of whom she recognized. There had to be _at least_ a thousand, if not more- "You did this?" Mika asked, meeting the students' gazes. "For _me?_ "

They nodded. "Why?" Raven whispered, tearing her gaze from the signatures to meet her friends' eyes.

"Because Professor Mikalos belongs at Ever After High, almost as much as you do, Raven, if not more." Briar replied, as Cerise glanced at Veryu, and then turned back to her friend. "It's not fair that you get to finish out your year, and Professor Mikalos doesn't."

"Everyone on campus signed it- well, almost everyone. There may have been one or two holdouts." She admitted, and Raven had a feeling she knew who Cerise was referencing.

"Most of the teachers signed it, too." Nicola added, and Raven returned her gaze to the list, spotting Mr. Bad Wolf, Coach Gingerbreadman, and Madame Yaga among the names, as well as several other professors she recognized.

"We sent it to the school board on Friday, after finals got out. We should hear whether or not it was a success, next week." Hunter said, sliding a hand into Ashlynn's.

"You're our professor." Aada spoke up. "Even if we don't take class from you, you're still our professor."

"You being married to Raven doesn't change that." Cedar's soft voice added, as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"And it's not right, that Headmaster Grimm just dismissed you like that. _Especially_ considering he did so on _Apple White's orders_." Darling grimaced. She'd always had a low opinion of Apple, but upon discovering what she'd done to Mika and Raven, that opinion had gone through the dirt and into the center of the planet, and not even the nicest of fairies could summon it back.

"You've done a lot of good for Ever After High, Professor Mikalos." Ashlynn informed them, squeezing Hunter's hand with a glance. "You and Raven taught us that destiny is not set in stone, that we can _choose_ who _we_ want to be, not who our parents want us to be. You taught us that we don't have to follow the pages out of some storybook. We can find our own happily-ever-afters, like you and Raven have."


	13. Chapter 13

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia**

Raven and Mika bid Cerise and the others goodbye after the first of the year; the students were headed to their respective homes for the last week of the winter holiday before they headed back to school. It was currently unclear as to whether Mika would be allowed to return- they would know the first week of classes, and Raven said nothing about returning to finish her year. Not long after the students left, Mika and Raven packed; in Marberly, most newlywed couples spent what was the honeymoon secluded to themselves. In Mika and Raven's case, however, they would be spending it in Palmarneae, visiting his family.

So it was three days later that Mika helped Raven out of the car, and up the steps into the grand foyer of the Palmarneae royal family's residence, Crystanillia. Without a word, the pair slipped down the halls, towards the main sitting room, intent on surprising Mika's parents and siblings. It was common tradition that once a child from one of the royal families of the Seven Kingdoms married, they and their spouse took a wing of the castle or palace for their own; it had been that way for centuries, and no one dared change it, despite the modern times. And Palmarneae was no different.

Mika held a finger to his lips as he knocked on the door of the sitting room, waiting until he heard his father's gruff, "Come in", to open the door, Raven following.

"I hope it's okay that we weren't announced, but... it seems kind of silly to be announced when we're trying to surprise you." The rest of the family looked up from their activities, looks of surprise crossing their faces as the pair slipped into the room.

"Uncle Mikalos!" A head of sandy curls bounded towards the couple, and Mika knelt as eight-year-old Jicqieas, the oldest son of Mika's older brother, Targyn and his wife Vankaela, rushed towards him, his younger brother, six-year-old Caysian, following.

"Look at you two! I feel like I haven't seen you for ages! You've both gotten so big!" The boys laughed, sandy curls bouncing.

"You saw us last week, Uncle Mikalos! At your wedding!" Jicqieas replied, throwing his arms around his uncle before turning to Raven. "Auntie Raven!" The young queen laughed, kneeling down to pull both boys into her arms. Once the initial shock had worn off, the others were up and hurrying to join the boys in greeting the newlyweds. Once he straightened, Mika gave Kili a hug before turning to his two oldest sisters- Kiraneleia and Zariegh- and allowing them both to engulf him in a hug. It was well-known that the five children of the Palmarneae royals were exceedingly close; being only a few years apart in age. Of the five, only Kiraneleia had no significant other, for the oldest princess was particular in her choice of a mate, and had admitted on more than one occasion that she was Palmarneaeian and would die Palmarneaeian before she even considered marrying someone from another royal family. Zariegh, his second oldest sister and the third oldest child, had announced her engagement to Devistan, the oldest of the children of Minlex's royal family, at the beginning of the previous year. Currently attending university, the young royals were intent on finishing before marrying.

After releasing the boys, Raven stood, acceping Targyn's hug and then turning to the king and queen. "Your Majesties." She dipped into a quick curtsy, but didn't get very far, as Baxiana caught her daughter-in-law's chin, stopping her.

"We should be bowing to you, Ravenna. And were we in court, we would," The older woman chuckled, releasing the girl's chin and holding out her arms. "But we're not. You're family, and you've always been family. Come here, love." Blushing lightly, Raven let the queen wrap her in a hug, before she pulled away and turned to Pál, who accepted the young queen in a hug with a kiss to her forehead.

"Welcome to the family, Raven," The king whispered against her hair. "It's about damned time."

"Papa!" Zariegh cried in feigned horror, kneeling down to cover her nephews' ears. The king chuckled, pulling away from his daughter-in-law and wrapping an arm around her waist, guiding her to the sofa by the fireplace as the Baxiana called a servant and asked for them to bring tea and coffee. Once everyone was settled and the refreshments had been brought, Mika caught them up on everything- including the petition.

"I _still_ can't believe that headmaster fired you over your relationship with Raven." Kili said, brushing her fingers through the brown curls her daughter hand inherited from her father. "It's... horrible."

"It's Ever After." Mika replied, sipping his coffee. "They don't play by anyone else's rules but their own."

"They're _fairy tales_ , which in their minds, means they're exempt from any _real-life_ consequences." Raven rolled her eyes, high ponytail swinging.

"Well this time they're not." Mika turned his gaze to his wife. "The students are pushing back. They're not going to take any of this lying down. You saw what happened on Legacy Day." He reached out, tucking a flyaway strand behind her ear. "Legacy Day put a target on your back. I don't trust them."

"Legacy Day?" Kiraneleia raised her eyebrows. Mika had told them bits and pieces of what it was like at Ever After High, though he'd only ever mentioned Legacy Day once or twice- and then he'd only ever said it was a 'ridiculous tradition of binding students to lives they don't want'. Her younger brother rolled his eyes.

"It's this... stupid tradition of signing your life away to follow in your parents footsteps. To... how did Cerise describe it, Nevermore?"

"'Keep the stories going', I believe." Raven replied, sipping her coffee.

"That's terrible." Baxiana whispered, lowering her cup. She took her husband's hand, squeezing firmly.

"It's disgusting." Mika replied, taking a sip of his drink. "And what's worse- there's students who actually believe they're owed their 'destinies.'" His sisters shivered; Palmarneae viewed destiny the same way Marberly did- it was simply a word, nothing more.

"Enough of 'destinies,'" Kili replied, setting her cup down. She turned to her younger brother and new sister-in-law. "How long are you staying for?" The pair shared a glance.

"Raven has to get back to Ever After High the week after next, I believe." Mika replied, and Raven turned, glaring at him.

"I'm not going, Mika. Not without you." He sighed, setting his cup down and turning to his wife.

"The only reason I agreed to be let go from Ever After High was if you were allowed to return and finish out your year, Ravenna, you know that."

"I don't care. I'm not going back without you, Mikalos." He shifted to face her, as she set her cup down, moving to prop her elbow on the back of the sofa, resting her temple against her knuckles. "End of discussion."

"This is not the end of the discussion, Ravenna. You're going back, regardless of whether I go back with you, and you're going to finish out your year-"

"What would be the point, Mikalos?" She asked, lifting her head and shrugging her shoulders. "I don't _need_ the schooling; I have... relative control over my powers. In the eyes of the Seven Kingdoms, I'm a grown woman. I'm ruling a country for Goddess's sake!" She stood, moving past the others, headed for the door, a ball of amethyst flame rolling back and forth between her hands.

"Raven! Ravenna!" He stood, moving to catch up with her, catching her wrist. "No one's saying you're not an adult-"

"I get that I'm young, but I'm not stupid, Mikalos! And I resent that everyone seems to think I am!" He tugged her back gently.

"No one thinks that, Raven." He whispered, reaching up to brush his knuckles against her cheek. She let her eyes slowly roll closed, the flame disappearing as she melted into his touch. "But I think it would be good if you went back. If not for the schooling, then yourself. Despite everything, you _blossomed_ at Ever After High-"

"I can blossom in Marberly, where I belong. I don't belong at Ever After High, my husband." She replied, her gaze sliding open as he took her shoulders gently.

"But not like you were. Raven, despite everything, Ever After High was _good_ for you. It gave you friends outside of the other children of the kingdoms, it gave you a chance to experience another culture, it-"

"Brought me back to you." She whispered, as he released her.

"Promise me that you'll at least _consider_ going back to finish your year." A moment passed, before she sighed and met his gaze. She glanced at the others before turning back to him. She held out a hand, which he took with a small smile.

"I'll consider it."

Without a word, he pulled her close, kissing her soundly to seal the deal.


	14. Chapter 14

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia**

It was decided that the pair would stay in Palmarneae until the second week of classes- Raven had let the school know that 'important state affairs' had come up, that would delay her return until the second week of classes, which would give her enough time to decide if she truly wanted to go back, and also meant that by then, they'd know the board's decision on the petition in regards to Mika's situation. It also meant that her friends had to go an entire week before they knew anything in regards to whether Mika would be returning to teach _Hero Training_ or not.

So it was three days after arriving at Crystanillia that Raven found herself in royal court dress, standing patiently as Mashka, one of the young maids, gently settled the black diamond tiara into her hair. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Mika talking with his sisters- all three wore similar court dress to Raven and Vankaela, the only difference was that the girls had traditional headpieces on- shimmering diadem crowns with sheer veils attached called _polinska_ \- signifying their place in the family. Both Mika and Targyn were in traditional Palmarneaeian military dress, and were deep in conversation with their sisters about something. "You're all ready, Your Majesty." Raven nodded silently to the maid, who curtsied and quickly hurried away before she stopped, reaching for the pendant around her wrist.

Raven pulled back. "Please, don't. Leave it." The maid nodded, hurrying off, and leaving Raven alone. The young queen squeezed the pendant in reassurance, feeling the soft glow pulse steadily, before making her way towards the others.

She had forgotten that it was the two hundredth anniversary of Palmarneae's founding, when she broke away from Marberly to become her own country, with her own monarchy. Without missing a beat of the conversation, Mika slid his arm around her waist, pulling her into him until she was flush against him, his arms wrapped snugly around her waist; he pressed a kiss to the bare skin of her shoulder left exposed by the off-the-shoulder cut of the dress, before resting his chin against it.

Eventually, the photographer nodded towards them, and slowly, Mika released her, moving to join his siblings. Raven looked up as Devistan and Vankaela joined her, for the photographer wanted to focus on the family first, before bringing in their spouses. "I'm glad you've finally married." Raven turned to Vankaela as she leaned towards her. "Targyn was starting to worry that you had found someone else. I had to remind him that this was _you_ , that you love Miks and that he loves you." Raven giggled, unaware of the photographer having turned his lens to the trio of in-laws for the briefest of moments, capturing the moment in time.

Finally, after several frames, he beckoned the three to join them. Raven followed Vankaela and Devistan, watching as the others settled beside their significant others. She held back however, biting her lip, unsure of where exactly she belonged in this family tree now that she was actually a part of it. "What's wrong, Auntie Raven?" Caysian asked, from his place beside his brother at his grandfather's feet. The young queen didn't say anything, just shook her head. Mika stood from where he'd been seated beside Kili, going to her, but she turned at a hand on her arm.

"Queen Ravenna?" The photographer studied her briefly, before pulling away. He knew the protocol in regards to the Marberlian royals- unlike the Palmarneaeians, it was an unspoken rule that one was not allowed to touch the Marberlian royals unless given permission. As the court photographer, he'd taken hundreds of photographs of the royal family; he'd taken the photographs of Raven and Mika at the announcement of their engagement, as well as the engagement photos of Raven's parents. He was a well-known Marberlian photographer, and had been suggested by the Marberly royal family to the other houses of the six kingdoms. He remembered taking formal portraits of Raven as she'd grown up, and had taken her coronation portraits as well. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I didn't mean to-"

She held up a hand. "It's okay, Master Wilhix. I have known you my entire life." She licked her lips, glancing over her shoulder at the others before leaning close. "I'm sorry, but... I don't... exactly know where I belong. I... have not had a... a family portrait to fit into since I was six-years-old." He nodded, glancing back at the others before holding out a hand.

"If I may, Your Majesty?" A moment passed, before she set her hand in his, allowing him to tug her gently away from the others, towards a chaise settled by the window. The others got up, following, curious. "If I _remember_ , it always took me a few solo shots for you to get comfortable being before the camera before you would join your parents." Raven nodded, glancing towards her in-laws, hoping they wouldn't be angry with her. Baxiana slid her hand into the crook of her husband's arm, resting her head against his shoulder, a small smile on her face. "Please, Majesty, if you'd be so kind." Raven glanced at her mother-in-law, before slowly taking a seat on the chaise. "When was the last time you had a royal portrait with your father done, if you don't mind me asking, Majesty?"

Raven thought a moment, waiting for the flash to fade before speaking. "Not since my coronation."

He nodded. "And you and Prince Mikalos have since married-"

"Little under a week ago." Mika replied, causing Raven to look up at him, as Master Wilhix captured the moment in time. The photographer glanced back at the prince.

"Perhaps it's time for a new set of formal portraits with your father, Majesty." He turned to Mika. "Would you mind, Your Highness?" Mika shook his head, moving to join Raven on the chaise. "Do you mind, Your Majesties? I know this is a little out of order, but I have photographed Ravenna since she was a babe in her mother's arms-"

"You know how she works." Pál replied and the photographer nodded. The king chuckled. "Go on. It's nice, being on the other end of the camera for once. Besides," He glanced at his son and daughter-in-law. "They need this." Raven blushed, turning to duck her head, and Mika reached out, brushing his knuckles against her cheeks. It was a series of candid shots that followed- beautiful images that made it very clear the love between the young couple. At one point, Mika leaned close, wrapping his arms around Raven's waist and pulling her to him; his mouth found hers, in an image that was reminiscent of an image Pál and Baxiana had had taken not long after their engagement had been announced.

Slowly, Mika's siblings joined them; Kiraneleia- Eleia as the family called her- settled on Raven's other side, while Targyn, Zariegh and Kili and their significant others gathered around the back. The boys and Kili's daughter were soon added, and after several shots with them, finally, the king and queen joined them. In one shot, each took a seat on either side of Raven, while Devistan and Vankaela on either side of them, the five siblings behind the chaise, in birth order, with their grandchildren on the floor at their feet. Eventually, the photo session turned to the children, before Baxiana decided she wanted a few shots of her and her daughters- including her daughters-in-law. Seated in the center of the chaise, she had Raven and Vanae, as the family called Targyn's wife, on either side of her, with her daughters behind them.

"Are you feeling better about this, Your Majesty?" Master Wilhix asked after a couple more hours- in which they had all changed from traditional court dress into formal clothing, the men in suits and the women in long, beautiful beaded dresses, and heels. Raven had, at one point, taken her hair down, and it tumbled down her back in beautiful, contained curls that Mika couldn't resist running his hands through. More than once, the other members of the family insisted Master Wilhix focus his camera lens on the couple, and some of the family's favorite shots from the shoot were of Mika and Raven, for the images were candid and honest in nature.

Raven nodded with a giggle, feeling Mika wrap his arms around her waist from behind. He pressed a firm kiss to her head. "I am. Thank you, Master Wilhix."

He shuttered his camera lens, and then bowed before her. "It's my pleasure, Your Majesty. Congratulations on your marriage."

Once he was gone, Mika spoke up, pressing another kiss to her head. "Don't you ever doubt your place in this family, Nevermore. You have _always_ had a place within it, and you _will_ always have a place." He kissed her temple. "And it will always be in my arms. I promise."


	15. Chapter 15

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia**

It was a week of celebrations in honor of the founding of Palmarneae; but before the celebrations and visits, the family was allowed some semblance of normalcy, including conversation around the breakfast table. Raven slipped into the seat beside Zari two mornings later; Mika followed, kissing her quickly before joining her. Over coffee, pancakes, omelets and everything else under the sun, conversation rose and fell like the tides on the Marberleian coast, and Raven found herself relaxing. This was similar to when she was home at Redarnia.

"Uncle Mikalos?"

"Mhmm?"

The eight-year-old swallowed his bite before speaking. "If you die, will you be buried in Auntie Raven's country or here?"

All conversation, all movement, all breathing even, stopped, as every head turned to stare at the child. Mika, who'd bitten into his slice of toast at that moment, lowered the slice and chewed slowly, blue eyes filling with worry as he stared at his nephew. Raven lowered her coffee cup, and her husband swallowed, taking the time to gather his thoughts. A moment passed, as every head turned to the youngest prince, before he spoke up. "Where did this come from, Jicqi?"

Slowly, normalcy returned to the table, and things picked up where they left off. Raven spread raspberry jelly on her biscuit, Baxiana stirred cream into her tea, Targyn cut into his omelet before taking a bite. The boy looked around at everyone. "You and Auntie Raven are married, right?" Mika glanced at his wife, who shrugged, biting into her biscuit.

"Right."

"And Auntie Raven's a queen, right?"

"Right."

"So if Auntie Raven is a queen, and you die, are you going to be buried with Auntie Raven in her country?" Raven glanced at her husband, biting through her biscuit and hard into her lower lip. She pulled the biscuit away, letting out a yelp, setting it down and reaching up to feel her lip. Mika gently took her chin, turning her to face him, concerned. He whispered softly to her, gently thumbing her bottom lip tenderly, before kissing her softly, if only to buy time. A moment passed, before he sighed, gently releasing her chin and turning back to his nephew.

"I guess... were I to die, I would want to be brought back here, because this is my home." He turned to his wife. "I'm sorry, Nevermore, but I am first and foremost Palmarneaeian, and my marriage to you will not change that. I was born and I will die Palmarneaeian."

Raven reached up, caressing his cheek. "I know."

"What about you, Auntie Raven?"

Without removing her gaze from her husband's she replied, "I wish to be laid to rest wherever you are. You are my soulmate, and not even Death will keep us apart."

"Jicqi, why are you asking?" Eleia asked and the boy shrugged. "Just curious?" He nodded.

"Good to know." Raven replied, meeting her nephew's gaze briefly. Silence once more settled around the table, before Targyn finally spoke up, his gaze lighting on Raven.

"So... when exactly can we expect to spoil a new niece or nephew?" Mika choked on his coffee and Raven dropped the strawberry she'd taken from the plate of fruit; it landed in her coffee with a splash, as Raven turned and gently rubbed her husband's back. After several minutes, he waved her away, and she stopped.

 _"I'm... sorry... what?"_ He choked out, finally able to get air into his lungs. Targyn raised an eyebrow.

"It's an honest question. If I remember right, Raven needs an heir by a certain age-"

"Twenty _-two_." Raven replied, fishing her strawberry out of her coffee and setting on the edge of her plate, a look of disgust on her pretty features at the caffeine-drenched fruit. "I only _just_ turned eighteen, Targyn."

"And we'd like to _enjoy_ our marriage before we go creating a family." Mika replied, pouring a glass of orange juice and taking a sip.

"There isn't going to be any issue, is there?" Vanae asked, worried. Raven frantically shook her head, black curls waving.

"No! Everything's fine! We just-"

"We aren't like you, Tar, no offense. But we don't want to immediately start a family before we're ready. Let us enjoy a _few_ years together before we go making babies."

"Besides, the potion I take lasts three months. When we're ready, then I'll stop taking it. And once I stop taking it, then we'll start trying." She met Mika's gaze, taking his hand. "But for now, I want to enjoy us- only us, our marriage. There will be plenty of time to make children later."

Something flashed in her husband's gaze, and he squeezed her hand. "Ravenna, you know- Marberleian law states that you need to produce an heir by-"

She reached up, covering his mouth with her hand. "I know, Mikalos. I have to produce an heir by my twenty-second birthday. I only just turned eighteen two months ago, and we married not even a week ago. There's _plenty_ of time for us to enjoy our marriage before we start making children. We have four years before I need to have a child growing in my womb."

Again, she saw something flash in his blue eyes, and it tugged at the back of her brain- something she'd buried just before the eve of their wedding, something that had sent shivers down her spine and made her heart stall in her chest. Something she silently feared would never come true.

 _"...plan on enjoying what little time you will have together... you never know when Fate will steal it away."_

She met his gaze, the question clear in her own eyes. _Are you thinking-_

 _\- what I am?_ He nodded, and slowly, she lowered her hand. She swallowed thickly, as he took her hand, standing and helping her out of her chair. "Excuse us, Mum, Papa, but there's something we need to discuss in private." Before either could respond, the pair were hurrying down the hall to the room they were staying in. Once safely behind the bedroom door, Mika turned to his wife, who had lowered herself onto the edge of the bed, realizing the conclusion they'd both come too.

"I have a bad feeling about this, my husband." He joined her, settling by her side and taking her hands.

"It can't happen, Nevermore. There's no way-"

"There's always a way, Mika. And what's more, it was a threat, to both your life and mine-"

"And empty threat by an empty man-"

"But what if it comes true? Mika, what if something happens to one of us-"

He took her face in his hands, stopping her. "It won't, Ravenna. I won't let it, I promise." She shook her head, before curling into his chest.

"Don't make me promises you might not be able to keep." She breathed, burying her face in his chest, and he tightened his hold on her. He'd never broken a promise to her yet, and he was determined not to start now.


	16. Chapter 16

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Warning: M chapter. I don't know if this is High M, but it's definitely an M. Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia**

He brushed a soft kiss to her hair, holding her close. The two weeks had passed quickly; the new semester had started at Ever After High, not that either Raven or Mika had thought much of it. They'd enjoyed spending time with Mika's family, before returning to Marberly to spend some time with Raven's father. Raven chatted with the girls over video chat and phone calls, but never once did she make any mention of returning, nor did she ask about the result of the petition.

"Is this _really_ necessary? We both know that I have no business with Ever After; my focus is strictly on Marberly and making sure my country and my people are taken care of-"

"And you're doing wonderfully, my wife." He replied, reaching up and catching her chin in his hand. "You're doing beautifully as queen." He thumbed her bottom lip. "I married the most amazing woman in the world." He whispered, kissing her soundly before pulling away. "I'm so proud of you." She smiled softly, sliding her hands up his chest.

"I love you, Mikalos."

His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her into his lap until she was straddling him. "I love you. Have I told you that today?"

She chuckled. "You just did."

"Ah. Well, I'm telling you again- I love you." He kissed her softly, slipping one hand beneath the skirt of her dress. His fingers trailed up the inner skin of her thigh, before sneaking between the material of her undergarments. She deepened the kiss, grabbing the front of his shirt as he gently rolled the small bundle of nerves between his thumb and forefinger. She groaned softly in the back of her throat, parting her lips and allowing him to slip his tongue into her mouth, as he moved his fingers from the bundle of nerves. A soft gasp escaped her throat; he slid a couple fingers into her, and within minutes, felt her begin to tighten around his fingers. Gently, he removed his fingers, breaking the kiss. "Do you know how much I love the look of arousal on you?" She shook her head with a giggle, and pulled him closer, sliding her hands down his chest towards his pants.

This time he didn't stop her, and he swallowed thickly, feeling her nimble fingers slowly work him free. Her violet eyes sparked with mischief, and she kissed him softly. "You tasted me on our wedding night. Let me taste you this time." He shook his head, but she stopped him. "It's my turn, love." She brushed a soft kiss to his lips, before she moved down, pressing kiss after kiss to his skin. Eventually, she moved to settle between his legs.

If she were perfectly honest with herself, she was a little worried about this; she'd never done it before, and he seemed so much more skilled at this than her, even though she was the only woman he'd been with. Releasing a slow breath, she told herself to take it slow; that the times he'd done it to her, he'd taken his time, bringing her to the brink without sending her over...

Now if she could just do the same to him.

Gently, she trailed the tip of her finger along his length; his reaction was all she needed to know that she'd clearly done something he'd liked, similar to when he'd trail his finger along the lips of her opening. She repeated the action twice, before deciding to try something else. Slowly, cautiously almost, she traced the path her finger had taken, leaving soft, feather-light kisses instead, and he groaned softly, reaching down for her-

She reached up, sliding her fingers through his, more to stop him from stopping her than anything else, and returned to her careful ministrations. In a move he often did to her, she pressed a soft kiss to the tip, and he groaned softly, making her grin in triumph. _Two can clearly play at this game._ With a quick glance, she then lowered her head, taking him gently into her mouth. At one point, he managed to untangle their hands and reached for her hair to pull her away, but she caught his wrists, making it clear she was calling the shots this time.

 _"... Raven..."_

By the time she pulled away, the taste of him still on her tongue, the saltiness sliding down the back of her throat, she'd discovered something new about herself- something she liked, because it brought her husband to his knees, putting him at her mercy. Thank Goddess she was a benevolent ruler. She watched with desire in her violet eyes as he reached for her; she wiped her mouth, licking her lips out of habit, a twist of triumph filling her as his taste filled her mouth once more. But before she could say anything, he grabbed her around the waist, sliding his hands beneath the skirt of her dress and tugging her undergarments down her legs and off her, tossing them over his shoulder. He kissed her then, pushing the dress up her body, over her breasts, only breaking the kiss to tug it off her and bunch it beneath her head as makeshift pillow.

Instead of removing her bra, he teased her through the soft silk of the garment, enjoying the breathy gasps that escaped her. Finally, he reached for her clutch; he hadn't missed her slipping a couple into the bag. He hadn't said a word, instead letting her believe that she was being sneaky. By the time she realized what he'd been doing with her clutch, he'd removed the sheath and slid it on before positioning himself between her thighs and slowly pushing into her. She gasped in surprise, violet gaze meeting his. _"Mikalos..."_

He smiled softly, brushing a gentle kiss to her mouth. "Shh. Not so loud, Nevermore. We don't want to arouse suspicion-"

"To... the fact that we're..." She moaned softly, trailing her own fingers down her abdomen towards where they were joined. _"Oh... Mika..."_

His mouth crashed onto hers, swallowing her groan as he pushed into her, slowly at first, and then faster. She dug her nails into his hips as he tangled his fingers in her hair, scraping his nails against her scalp. Eventually, he moved to suck on her throat as he continued to push into her. Her hands moved from his hips to grasp at the soft flesh of his buttocks, and as he brought them both closer to the tipping point, she forced her eyes open, meeting his gaze. As they crashed over the precipice, his mouth found hers, and she raked her nails up his back, drawing blood.

The cold winter air hit her full in the face as he helped her out of the car. Ignoring the feel of the air, she reached up, swiping a finger along the edge of her bottom lip before smoothing her skirt and making sure her hair was back in its twist. It wouldn't do for her to look unkempt on her first day back. _Or like you just had sex with your husband in the back of the car during the drive._

She looked up as he cleared his throat, adjusting the cuffs of his suit jacket. His hair was slightly tousled, and his shirt was slightly un-tucked. She sighed, quickly tucking his shirt in and reaching up to fix his hair. "What am I going to _do_ with _you_ , Mikalos?"

"How about we _don't_ make it a habit of having sex on the ride back?" He whispered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, nodding to his family's driver. The man nodded in response before leaving.

"What's wrong? Did I not arouse you enough?" She asked, sliding her hands along his waist, and he met her gaze.

"You aroused me _too much_ , Nevermore. Where in Goddess's name did you learn to do _that_ with your tongue?" She grinned, meeting his gaze.

"A lady never... sucks and tells." She whispered, enjoying the blush that colored his cheeks.

"You are going to be the _death_ of me, my wife." He replied, kissing her quickly. She giggled. The sound of someone clearing their throat caused the pair to turn, and they found themselves face-to-face with Headmaster Grimm.


	17. Chapter 17

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia**

"Ah... Headmaster Grimm."

The older man raised one bushy eyebrow, as Raven reached up, brushing a strand of hair off her cheek before taking Mika's hand with hers. "Your Majest.. ies."He glanced at Mika, who straightened his back, pulling Raven into his side. Clearly, the man had to remember that Mika was a prince, and not a lowly knight, as he'd first been told. "It's a pleasure to see that you've returned to finish your year, Your Majesty." He turned to Raven, who held out a hand.

"It's... nice to be back, Headmaster." Raven replied, glancing at her husband. Grimm didn't miss the look; he held out her schedule and key room key with a simple,

"I understand you requested to change roommates this semester, Your Majesty, and were there a student who had no roommate, we would be able to process your request, however, we were unable to due to the fact that there is no student in need of a roommate. You will still be with Miss White-"

"And let me make it _very clear_ , Headmaster, that if she so much as opens her mouth in regards to needing a rival or my relationship with my husband," Grimm started, but then noticed the ring on her finger as she reached for the schedule, connecting the dots. "and I will not be responsible for what my magic does to her. Do you understand?" He nodded, and she smiled softly. "Good. Now if you'll excuse me," He bowed quickly to the pair, before allowing them to make their way up the steps. It was just after five-thirty on Monday morning, and the pair stopped first at Raven's dorm to drop off her things before heading to the faculty dorms.

Once they were behind the closed door, Raven relaxed, kicking off her heels and making her way towards her husband. "That man makes me almost as nervous as the Duke of Handoreli. He has an agenda, and will do anything to get what he wants." She slid her hands up his chest, meeting his gaze.

"He doesn't matter anymore, my love. We're-"

"Back at _Ever After High_." She replied in annoyance, rolling her eyes. He chuckled. At the end of their visit in Palmarneae, they'd received word that the board had accepted the students' petition, and given Mika his position back at Ever After High, citing that the education of the students as a _whole_ far outweighed the desires of _one_. Though the students didn't know, which meant it would be a nice surprise for them when they arrived at the track for Hero Training this morning- since the class had been canceled the week before, until Mika could return. They unpacked in silence, before Raven checked the time on her phone. "Shall we go get something to eat? The castleteria is probably close to deserted now, since most of the students are still sleeping. If we don't want to stay, we could get something and bring it back here."

"Sounds like a wonderful plan, Nevermore." He replied. Once they were finished, he took her hand, tugging her out of the dorm before slipping her hand into the crook of his arm. The walk to the castleteria was quiet, only the sounds of their footsteps on the marble floors. Eventually, they reached the castleteria, surprising the workers, who hadn't expected to see either one back at the school after the fiasco the semester before; Raven had made it very clear one afternoon, not long after Mika was dismissed from the school, that she had no desire to return the following semester, despite Mika's managing to talk Headmaster Grimm into allowing her to finish out her year.

It was with surprised looks and excited voices that the women welcomed them back, and after informing them of their marriage, they got breakfast, choosing to return to Mika's dorm instead of stay in the castleteria. The pair settled across from each other on the bed, chatting over omelets and coffee, as they had at the breakfast table over the last couple of weeks with their families. Once finished, the pair got ready for the day, Raven checking her schedule in silence.

" _Advanced Witchery... Advanced Divination... again... Muse-ic... Good Kingdom Management_ isn't on my schedule this semester... oh, wait, there it is... two free periods and _Hero Training II and III_... wait, isn't Hero Training II and III two separate classes?" She looked up at him.

He thought a moment. "Normally, yes. But I think in your case, it's more just something for you to do. You don't really need either class; you're skilled as it is, but it gives you an outlet to practice."

She nodded. "So I have... two real days of classes, two days with no classes and one day with only one class. That's not _too_ bad."

Mika joined her, reaching for the schedule, mid-buttoning of his shirt. It was common for anyone practicing with weapons to change into clothing more suited and comfortable for the exercises. Oftentimes, leggings and form-fitting tops were used, as well as boots. She handed it over before working on getting dressed herself. "So you have _Hero Training II and III_ on Mondays and Wednesdays, and only _Good Kingdom Management II_ on Tuesdays. Five classes, that's not bad, especially for someone who's not collecting credit." He set the schedule down on his desk, his gaze lingering on her as she tugged the silver leggings up her body, before she grabbed the matching shirt and tugged it over her head. She then released her hair from the twist and pulled it back into a high ponytail.

"Ready?" He shook his head of his desire, before meeting her gaze, and she blushed, ducking her own head quickly. "We should be able to wake them up with a little early morning sparring."

She sighed. "Just as long as you don't partner me up with any of the idiots." She grabbed her bag, slinging it over her shoulder. He pulled her close.

"Kind of hard not to, my love, when half the guys at this school-"

"Are?" She asked with a grin, and he chuckled. "Well, no matter. I'm married to the one that isn't, and that's all that matters." She kissed him then, sliding her arms around his neck as they teleported to the track.


	18. Chapter 18

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia**

"What do you say we... get a little practice in?" He held the rapier out to her, and after a moment, she took it. She worked on loosening up her wrist, spinning the sword in several quick movements, before she turned, managing to block her husband's surprise attack.

"Hey! Not fair!"

He chuckled, continuing the attack as he forced her to back away. "There's no such thing as fair in battle, Nevermore, you know that." They continued to spar, never missing a beat or falling behind. So caught up in their practice, that they didn't notice the students wandering down from the castle towards the track. Eventually, however, Mika managed to get Raven's rapier out of her hands, sending it flying, and after a moment of weighing her options, she turned back to him, seeing no other choice.

"How is it a fair fight now, my husband? I have no weapon." With a soft laugh, he tossed dropped the rapier, making his way towards her. On instinct, Raven swung; he dodged, retaliating. Mika, like Raven, had grown up learning combat of all forms; he and Targyn would often practice outside when they had time, and it had been Mika who had helped to train Raven in hand-to-hand. By now, the students were gathering in the bleachers, chatting with each other or watching out of the corner of their eyes.

Darling, as the sole girl in the class- for one of the demands of the petition had been to allow students interested in other topics to enroll in their chosen interest for the spring semester- dropped her bag by her brothers' and took a seat. She watched the pair in silence, blue eyes darting back and forth between the two. _It looks like Raven and Professor Mikalos, but that's not possible. Professor Mikalos wasn't allowed to come back; we never heard about the petition, and Raven didn't say whether she was coming back or not._

At one point, he swung out, knocking his opponent off her feet, and after a moment, she stood, before kneeling down, grabbing her ankle. A moment passed, before he hurried to her. "Raven, honey-" But she looked up, a glint in her eyes, before she swung out; he managed to block her just in time.

"Rule number one, my husband- no matter if your opponent is injured, _never_ let your guard down. Remember?" She smirked. "You're getting rusty in your old age."

He snorted in derision, blocking her next blow, and she glanced over his shoulder, spotting the rapier not far away. Without a word, she dashed for it, him hot on her heels. She managed to snatch it up first, attacking without a second thought. Eventually, he ended up on his back, not far from her abandoned rapier, and grabbed it, managing to block her next blow and climb to his feet. It soon became a series of attacks and defenses, that eventually culminated in her blocking his attack, and him, in a surprise move, grabbing her free wrist, effectively disarming her, sending her sword to the grass at her feet. He yanked her towards him, spinning her so that her back was against his chest, and he brought the edge of the rapier to her throat. She lifted her chin on instinct, giving him access to her throat; he tightened his hold on her wrist, tugging it behind her back and she flinched. "Were this my home country, and you the enemy, this would either be the moment of your execution or your surrender. There are no choices for the defeated enemy in Palmarneae."

"I know, Mikalos." She breathed, feeling her heart speed as his lips brushed against her ear. A moment passed, before he finally lowered the sword, stepping away from her. He knelt before her in a plie, the hilt of his sword held towards her, and she took it, plieing in return. Once both had straightened, they turned, to find the rest of the class sitting in the bleachers, looks of shock and awe on their faces. Mika chuckled, glancing at Raven, before turning back to the class.

"Welcome back to _Hero Training_ , I'm Professor Mikalos." Darling quickly covered her mouth, swallowing the squeal at the realization that her thinking had been right. "Now, as you know, there have been some recent changes made to the schedule this semester, due to unforeseen circumstances from the semester before. _Hero Training II and III_ will take place on Mondays and Wednesdays, and I believe you've also noticed that there is a new addition to the class." The other students turned to glance at Darling. "Girls will now be allowed to sign up for the class as well, if they so choose." He glanced at his wife.

 _They don't know what they're in for._ He chuckled at the look on her face before turning back to the class.

"Where I come from, it's believed that women can be just as skilled as men in weaponry; our armies do not discriminate against either sex. We also believe that knowing hand-to-hand combat is important, so you will not only be learning and honing your skills with _weapons_ , but learning the proper techniques for hand-to-hand combat, because in a real battle, you will not always be equipped with a sword. Not necessarily in my home country, but in my wife's, the most skilled of the army are those who are proficient in hand-to-hand combat." Only Darling didn't start at Mika's slip up. "You will be expected to go up against each other in sparring exercises, and that means at some point, you will be going up against the girls. That does not mean you go easy on them, or that you fully attack; your goal will be to _properly_ disarm them. Is that _clear_?"

A chorus of murmurs met him, and after a moment, he nodded. Raven tucked her hands behind her back, rolling her eyes. Typical male-dominant society.

"Swordsmanship," Mika lifted the rapier he held, tossing it lightly in the air and catching it by the hilt. "is all about knowing your blade, and being able to _react_ to the other person in a fight." Raven stood beside him, having already silently decided that she was to be his sparring partner for _Hero Training_ demonstrations. She could see Darling- the only other girl in the class- sitting among the boys, looking about ready to jump out of her skin at the prospect of a sparring match. He turned to Raven, nodding to her, and after a moment, she fell into a soft ready stance, rapier at the ready.

"Don't go easy on me just because I'm a girl." She breathed, and he smirked, before attacking, a move which she blocked. They continued for several minutes, before their blades locked, stalling them.

"I'll never go easy on you unless you ask me too." He whispered with a wink. She rolled her eyes, twisting in such a way that she broke the stalemate, stepping back. "Once you're able to pick up on _how_ your opponent moves," they circled each other, lashing out on occasion before pulling back. She thrust, and he blocked. "you'll be able to gauge the proper time for attack." He thrust out and she ducked, swinging out to cut his legs out, but he jumped back; to the rest of the class, it was a single, fluid motion- he lashed out, she ducked and swiped, and he jumped- the smooth flow of water cutting a path through the forest; not one movement was interrupted. "By then, it will all be about anticipating your partner's next move." Raven had since stood, the clashing of metal on metal was music, and she relished it, until a good stopping point was hit and he stepped back. "This class is going to be about knowing your partner as much as your weapons and how to use them, because in a real battle, you'll need to be quick on your feet, and knowing how the other's body works in regards to a fight will help you stay alive to fight another day."

"But the majority of us aren't going to go into battle, Professor." A student spoke up. "Most of us are just going to find a random princess and kiss her to break her curse."

Raven didn't bother hiding her eye roll this time, and she cleared her throat, glancing at Mika, who wore the same look in his blue irises. "My husband doesn't _care_ if you're going to kiss some blonde _bimbo_ for a princess or turn into a frog yourself. His _job_ is to make sure if you ever do- Goddess help you- end up in combat, that you'll be able to hold your own against your enemy and not get cut down like the pathetic toads you all are."

Darling giggled, and Mika's attention shot to her. _"Ravenna."_

She met his gaze, sighing in annoyance. "How are they ever going to learn if you aren't blunt with them?"

 _"Raven."_

She pursed her lips, a look of annoyance crossing her small features. "It's not my fault they're-"

 _"Ravenna, that's enough!"_

She glared at him, but fell silent, stepping back to give him the floor. A moment passed, as he studied each student in turn, before nodding once. "How many of you have taken _Hero Training_?" A few hands rose. "Okay. And how many are new to this?" More hands than before rose. "And... how many know the basics of combat or have participated in some form of swordsmanship?" Darling's hand was the first of only a few to shoot into the air. Mika chuckled softly. "Good. Over the course of this semester and into the next, I'll be expecting you to grow as swordsmen and women," He glanced at Raven. "I expect you to hone your skills, so that if I were to drop you into a mock a battle, you could prove to me that you can hold your own. I expect hard work and dedication to training, or you will not be allowed to participate in this class, is that understood?" Nods and murmurs of acceptance reached his ears. "Good. Now, partner-"

Without a word, Raven hurried over to the group of students, picking her way through the bleachers until she got to Darling's row, and then grabbed the girl's hand. Tugging gently, Darling rose, and she led the girl back to where she'd been standing, making it clear who she planned on working with. "- up." Her husband rolled his eyes and with a quick shake of his head, turned back to the other students. "Why did I not see that coming?" He muttered softly, before speaking up. "Partner up, all of you. Come on."

It was several minutes of chaos as the guys shuffled about, choosing who they'd be working with. Once everyone was silent, Mika turned to Raven and Darling, of which the young queen raised an eyebrow. _You going to challenge me on this?_

He sighed, rolling his eyes before turning back to the boys. "Take a good look at who you're across from or next to." They all did as told. "You happy with your choice of partner?" No one spoke. "You better be, and if you're not, you better get used to it. Because for the remainder of this semester, they will be your sparring partner in this class. You will train to fight with them, and against them. They will be your ally _and_ your enemy. You will need to be able to fight against them with weaponry as well as your own hands, for combat comes in both forms. If I hear any complaints, you will be asked to sit the class out, and if it continues, you will be removed from this class, am I understood?" Everyone nodded. "Good. You can go. _Hero Training III_ , I will see you after the lunch period, for _Hero Training II,_ I will see you all on Wednesday! You're all dismissed."

As the guys all gathered up their things, Mika took the rapier from Raven, returning the weapons to the shed; Darling turned to the young queen, throwing her arms around her with a squeal. "What are you doing back? You didn't say anything about returning this semester! And Professor Mikalos-"

"I was told that I need to finish out my year." Raven replied, her gaze flicking to Mika. "And as for Mika-" She watched him as he grabbed their bags, holding hers out to her once he got close enough. "We got the letter that the board approved your petition while we were visiting his family in Palmarneae. Neither of us could hardly believe it." She accepted the bag, kissing him quickly.

Darling grinned, glancing between the pair, before turning to Mika. "You're really back? Like... teaching for good?"

He chuckled, sliding an arm around Raven's waist. "Yes, Darling, I'm really back. I promise."

"Have you told-"

"Not yet." Raven cut her off, meeting her gaze, a grin slowly spreading on her pretty features. "I figured we'd surprise them at lunch."


	19. Chapter 19

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia**

Surprised wasn't quite the right word for the girls' reactions.

To see Raven and Mika enter the castleteria that lunch period with their hands linked, had every student doing a double take, but none more so than the girls. When they heard nothing from Raven, and nothing from the board, they all just assumed that neither would be returning, even though Raven had been allowed to finish her year.

So it was later that night, after dinner, that the girls all gathered in Ashlynn and Briar's room, catching up over hot chocolate and pastries they'd bought at Hocus Latte. It was a typical sleepover- nails were painted, sweets were eaten, music was listened too, stories told- and then Raven brought out the booklet. She and Mika had received copies of the photographs of the Palmarneae royal family for the Palmarneae bicentenary. Silently, Raven removed each glossy image, laying them out on the floor between the beds, as the girls gathered around to look at them.

"Oh, Raven, they're gorgeous!"

"Who are they? Are they the royal family of Palmar- how do you pronounce it?"

"They're Professor Mikalos's family, aren't they? Are those his sisters?"

"Raven, you look gorgeous! What was it like?"

She laughed, levitating the images with a brush of her finger. "Three of the royal children of Palmarneae are married- Targyn, he's the oldest and the Crown Prince. When Father steps down, the throne will go to him. He's married to Vankeala- well, _Belari_ is her first name, but no one calls her that. Everyone calls her by her middle name, Vankeala. She only goes by Belari when it's in regards to official things; and they have two boys- Jicqieas and Caysian. You met Kili at my party; she's the third daughter, and is closest to Mika. She and her husband Cesxan have a little girl, Oksana. Ces is currently attending law school in Vispen and couldn't come home for the anniversary. Zariegh is engaged to Devistan, he's the Crown Prince of Minlex. He was also at my birthday ball; they got engaged last year. Kiraneleia is the only one who isn't married or has a significant other; she's too picky. Well, that's the joke."

"They're beautiful. I especially love the ones of you and Professor Mikalos." Darling said, reaching for one of the pair sitting on the chaise. Raven studied it, a smile on her features. Her forehead was resting against Mika's, and they both had their eyes closed. The tiara she wore sparked in the light, and he had taken her hand, lacing their fingers. "What did he say to make you smile?"

Raven sighed, a wistful look flashing over her features. "That someday it will be us sitting for portraits, with our children and grandchildren gathered around us."

"Oh, that's so sweet!" Ashlynn cried as Briar grabbed a pastry out of the box. Raven blushed, sitting back against the foot board of the bed. She sighed, fiddling with the pendant around her wrist, listening to the excited chatter as the girls looked through the photographs, before finally asking,

"How were things? You, the first week back? Are they as bad as they were last semester?"

Silence fell, and after a moment, the girls shared glances before finally, Cedar spoke up. "Headmaster Grimm is trying to force the Rebels to follow their destinies; he's surreptitiously put us in classes that are geared towards our destinies, even though the board ruled in our favor."

"Ruled? How?"

Cedar glanced at Cerise, who bit her lip. "Not long after we sent the petition in, Snow White went to the board of education- they decide what classes will be taught at Ever After High, after all, and tried to claim that the Rebel students should be cast out, banished to our own 'Evil' that Ever After High should be left strictly to the Royals."

"That's... horrible."

"She tried buying the board members off, but they're not stupid. They saw right through Snow White and her evil. They said that the students should be able to choose their own classes, as well as their own destinies."

"Then why didn't they agree to that _years_ ago?" She stopped, glancing at each in turn. "Let me guess, because Snow White and her disgusting family bought them off?" Every head nodded. She sighed. "So what made them change their minds this time? Legacy Day?"

"Actually, no." Cerise replied. "Raven, it was you."

The queen's brow furrowed, a quizzical look settling on her features. Her soft, red lips pursed in confusion, and she looked from one friend to the next. "I... don't understand. What did _I_ do?"

"You attended Ever After High." Brair replied. "You're the first student to attend Ever After High that's never had a destiny, never had a legacy, and you're able to make your own path, and the board noticed and agreed with you on that."

"But... I'm also not a fairy tale character." Raven replied slowly.

"And they realize that. And they also realize that they've been too strict, that maybe this is the generation where they let the kids decide if they want to follow destiny or not."

"And?" She looked from one to the other, waiting for their replies. It was Aada that spoke up.

"The school is still split. It doesn't matter what the school board says. The Royals are going to do what they want, but that also means that the Rebels get to choose their own legacies, their own destinies. We don't have to be constrained to our parents' legacies anymore. We're free."

Raven smiled at each of them. "That's great! So... what are you going to do?"

Silence fell. Now that their legacies were free and open, the girls could choose what they wanted to do, who they wanted to be... and yet, it wasn't that simple. They'd only ever known that their lives, their destinies, were laid out for them by those who came before, and now...

Now, there was a completely new chapter, waiting to be written.


	20. Chapter 20

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia**

Raven spent her first week back at school crashing between Cerise and Cedar's dorm, Ashlynn and Briar's dorm and with Mika's dorm, so that by the following Monday, she knew she had no choice but to go to her dorm. It wasn't the room that was the issue, it was the person who shared it.

"I don't see why I just can't stay with you. Headmaster Grimm _knows_ that we're married. And despite what he likes to think, we aren't doing anything that any normal teenage couple isn't doing-"

"But we're not a normal teenage couple, Raven. I'm older than you, remember?"

She rolled her eyes, storming up the stairs, her husband on her heels. "By _five years_ , Mikalos! Five years is not that big a deal! Ten years- now _that_ would be a huge difference!"

"Regardless, it's still Headmaster Grimm's school, and his rules, Ravenna-"

She whirled on him, black locks swirling around her like a skirt. "So what? Headmaster Grimm has no say in our lives. He does not advise me on how to rule over my country, nor does he advise me how to handle conflict with other countries. He will not be there when I return to Marberly in the summer, nor will he be there when we begin our own family. He is an insignificant little man who believes he is solely important to the world, when in reality, he is a gnat. An _ant_. An insignificant grain of sand in the beach that is the world, who will do nothing after the students graduate but pathetically attempt to shape the destinies of generations of students after them." She pulled the key from the pocket of her jacket, turning back to the door of her dorm.

"I'm still older than you, Raven."

"Again, Mika, _five years_." She slid the key into the lock. "In four years, I will be twenty-two, and you will be twenty-seven, and by then, I will have given birth to our first child. We will have a family of our own to raise, and will be back where we both belong. Ever After High will be a distant memory for us.

She pushed the door open, stepping inside. Mika followed, closing it, though it didn't latch. He watched in silence as Raven kicked off her heels and removed her jacket, tossing it on the back of her desk chair. With a wave of her hand, she quickly unpacked, watching in silent satisfaction as everything levitated and flew to their proper places. Once done, she turned back to him.

"Cleo will most likely have taken the Vispen throne and Laia could be crowned queen... it will be a _new_ generation ruling the Seven Kingdoms, and our ties will be all the stronger for it. And while _we_ are thriving, Ever After will be choking under her old, out-dated ways. They will wither away and die off while our countries grow stronger. And that, my husband, will be a good thing." He went to her, and she slid her arms around his waist, meeting his gaze. "And who knows, by then your brother could very well be on the throne, and I could be heavy with your child." She smiled softly. "In five or ten years, we will have children to chase after through Redarnia's gardens, little princesses and princes that will look like us and have aspects of our personalities."

"They'll be beautiful, just like you." He whispered, reaching up to brush a lock of hair off her cheek. She grinned, pressing a kiss to his palm.

"I look forward to that future." He leaned down, kissing her soundly. Her arms tightened around his waist, and his tangled his hands in her hair, deepening the kiss. He slowly walked them back to her bed; her knees hit the edge, and she sat, shifting until she was balanced up on her knees. Her hands worked on the buttons of his shirt, and he slid his hands down her back, grasping the zipper on the back of her dress and gently tugging it down. His mouth moved to her neck, sucking gently at her pulse, and she let her eyes roll, even as she tilted her head back, allowing him better access to her throat. She tugged his shirt free, sliding her hands beneath the material to caress his skin-

Without a word, he broke the kiss and pushed her back on the bed, climbing up after her. Their gazes locked, and after a moment, he nuzzled against her cheek. "You know when we do have a child, it will be my chromosomes that determine whether we have a son or a daughter." She reached up, caressing his cheek. "We could have a son first."

"I know." She kissed him softly. "But eventually, we will have a daughter, and _she_ will one day inherit my throne, regardless of whether our son is first in the birth order."

"We will just have to make sure that we love them both equally, but that they understand that it's his sister that will one day rule." She grinned. "And that it doesn't mean we love him any less, but it's tradition ancient tradition that the women rule Marberly."

"And we will need to-" But she never got to finish, as the door swung open. The pair looked up, to find Raven's roommate standing in the doorway. Instantly, Raven's mood soured, and she gently pushed Mika away, sitting up. He quickly buttoned his shirt, as Raven tucked her legs beneath her. "Apple White. I wish I could say it was nice to see you, but," She stopped, turning as she felt Mika tug the zipper of her dress back up.

Apple's blue eyes studied her roommate, before darting towards the _Hero Training_ professor. "I was hoping that the rumors were wrong, but I guess they weren't. You're really back. _Both_ of you."

Raven sighed, scooting to the edge of her bed as Mika stood, tucking his shirt back into place. " _Look_ , I know the little trick your mommy tried pulling, but the board didn't fall for it. They're not stupid. They see the value of charting your own course in life, and they agreed that Mikalos is a good professor. My relationship- my _marriage_ \- to him is not going to hinder his teaching. He _deserved_ to get his position back, and everyone here deserves not to be bound to some stupid story if they don't _want_ be."

"All you've done since you came here was destroy this school! You've destroyed the good standing of not only this school, but everyone here! You're-" But Apple never got to finish, as Raven stood, slipping into her shoes and going towards her roommate, blowing gently on her, casting a silencing charm over the blonde. Apple stared at her, but didn't open her mouth.

"Now you listen to me," Raven's voice was low, commanding; the tone one she often used when she spoke to her generals or advisers. "I know it may be difficult for the blissful, blonde, bubble-headed brain of yours to comprehend the possibility of free choice, but it's real. This school is changing- for the better- and no matter what you think, you can't change it! You fear choice, only because you've never _had_ choice. You've been told what to do and what you would inherit from the day you were born; you grew up in the lap of disgusting luxury, while the people of your land suffer and starve. Honestly, I'm amazed your people haven't revolted against you and your family yet, because they should. Your kingdom shows others what _not_ to do, and you should be ashamed." She snorted in derision. "And you've dared to call _me_ selfish? If you ask me, _you're_ the one who's selfish."

And without another word, she and Mika left the dorm, shutting the door behind them.


	21. Chapter 21

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: This jumps ahead a little... Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia**

It was quiet for a Saturday afternoon; most students were out shopping or hanging out in the student lounge. The early spring chill brought light sweaters out for an early March afternoon. Cerise and the others were hanging out in the shade of the trees in the common, enjoying the early spring day. At one point, Briar looked up from scrolling through her phone. "Where's Raven?"

The others looked around, but didn't see the young queen. Hunter shifted, as Ashlynn settled between his legs, leaning back against him. He wrapped his arms around her, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. "They weren't at breakfast yesterday either. At least, I didn't see them in the castleteria."

Since their return to the school, neither Raven nor Mika had bothered hiding their relationship; rumors had quickly swirled that there was something going on between the young monarch the school was hosting and the Hero Training professor- rumors of an affair, a marriage, a secret relationship. Rumors started by the Royals, in the hopes of getting the two removed from the school, and only enforced by Raven and Mika themselves, for neither admitted their marriage, though it was evident to whoever caught sight of their hands the matching amethyst, silver and black diamond rings on their fingers- traditional wedding rings when a Palmarneae royal married into the Marberlian royal family, which was rare itself. Oftentimes, the Marberlian royals married into one of other houses- Vispen or Forquniz.

"Maybe they're taking the day to themselves?" Ashlynn suggested as Hunter pressed a kiss to her temple. But before anyone else could speak up, a black car pulled up before the school.

"Who's that?" The others turned, interest now peaked.

"A new student? Maybe someone's parents coming to visit?"

A moment passed, as the others watched; two very familiar figures made their way down the steps of the school, engaged in conversation, and but stopped at the sight of the car. After several minutes, the others stood, joining the gathering crowd of students who gathered around the car. "There's Raven." Cerise nodded towards her, but before they could move to join her, the back passenger door opened and someone stepped out. Raven let out a squeal, hurrying down the steps with a cry.

 _"Cleo!"_

The young prince looked up just in time as the eighteen-year-old queen of Marberly threw herself into his arms. He caught her, stumbling back slightly. "Hey Raven."

"What are you doing here?" She demanded once he released her. Mika joined them, quickly shaking his childhood friend's hand. "You should be in Vispen-"

"It's official business, unfortunately."

" _Official?_ " Mika raised an eyebrow. "What could be official enough for you to come to Ever After High?" He slid an arm around Raven's waist, holding her close.

Cleo rolled his eyes. " _Technically_ , it doesn't have anything to do with _Ever After High_ , but Ever After itself."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

The crown prince cleared his throat. "My parents' treasurers were going through the accounts, and he found some... _irregularities_ in the books. In regards to the trade Vispen is doing with Ever After."

The pair shared a glance. "What _type_ of irregularities, Cleo?" Raven asked, crossing her arms. The crown prince moved closer, so that only Raven and Mika could hear.

"Is there somewhere we can talk privately?"

The couple glanced at each other, before Raven nodded. She turned, only to barely miss colliding with Headmaster Grimm. "May I ask who this is, Your Majesty?"

Raven lifted her chin. "Ah, Headmaster. This is Cleon, Crown Prince of Vispen. He's a dear, dear friend of mine and Professor Mikalos's. He's on business for his parents, and decided to stop by pay us a visit." Grimm raised an eyebrow. "If you'll excuse us; it's been so long, that we'd like some time alone to catch up. I'll make sure he stops by the office and signs the visitor log myself."

And without another word, she grabbed Cleo's hand and linked her arm with Mika's and tugged both men up the steps of the school, leaving the other students looking on. Slowly, the other students returned to their activities, except for Cerise and the others, who hastily followed the trio. Not finding them in the halls, Hunter suggested getting something to eat, and so they headed off to the castleteria, knowing it'd be near deserted on a Saturday- only to find the trio they'd been looking for sitting the far corner.

Once seated, Raven wrapped her hands around her mug, turning the conversation back to the matter at hand. "What exactly is going on, Cleo?"

"It's got to be pretty serious, if your parents sent you." Mika added, sliding his arm over Raven's shoulders. Cleo sighed.

"They didn't send me. I volunteered." Raven's eyebrows rose. "As soon as they realized what was happening, they knew someone had to get in contact with you, Raven. I volunteered to come tell you myself."

"So you finally leave the Seven Kingdoms for the fairy tale world." Mika joked, holding out a hand. "Congrats. You didn't burst into flames or vanish upon setting foot inside. That's an accomplishment in itself." Cleo quickly shook his hand and Raven rolled her eyes.

"You two are _impossible_ , you know that?" Though she was smiling; it was a common joke between the royal children of the Seven Kingdoms that if they set foot in Ever After, they'd either burst into flames or vanish into thin air- since Ever After was a world of 'make believe' and the Seven Kingdoms were 'reality'. The fact that they almost coexisted harmoniously made the joke even darker- fairy tales and reality, living side by side.

"But you love us anyway." Mika replied with a grin. Raven turned, meeting her husband's gaze with a raised eyebrow.

"I love one of you enough to marry you." He chuckled, kissing her soundly and slowly, before resting his forehead to hers for the briefest of moments.

"You two are _disgusting_ , you realize that?" Licking her lips with a blush, Raven turned back to her friend. "Yeah, I'm never marrying, otherwise I'll turn out like you." He nodded to Mika, who smirked.

"You said something about trade?" Cleo opened his mouth to speak when the doors to the castleteria opened, and Raven saw her friends enter. He turned back to Raven and Mika. A moment passed, before Mika stood, taking Raven's hand and helping her up. "Come on, we can go back to my dorm. It's private there. And quiet. Raven soundproofed the room."


	22. Chapter 22

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia**

"It turns out, that Ever After has been abusing trade with not _only_ Vispen, but possibly the _whole_ of the Seven Kingdoms. My parents sent me as an envoy. I told them I'd stop by Ever After High and get in touch with you. They've already let your father know, Raven, and he's having the treasurer look through Marberly's accounts for any signs of abuse. Your parents know too, Miks."

"How do we stop it?" Mika asked, as he worked on pulling up the video chat on his laptop. Cleo shrugged. The trio had moved the conversation to Mika's dorm, and were currently in the process of patching not only his parents, but Raven's father and Mira, as well as the other houses into the video call.

"The question is, _can_ we?" Raven asked, getting off the bed and proceeding to pace, a ball of amethyst rolling between her hands. "If Ever After has been doing this for years, and getting away with it, that means they're _good_ at it. Especially to go this long without being caught."

"Fifty-eight years." Cleo and Raven turned, as Mika turned the laptop towards them. His parents, Raven's father and Mira, Cleo's parents, Laia and her parents, as well as the royals of the other kingdoms faces popped up on the various screens in the video chat. "Ever After has been pulling this stunt for the last fifty-eight years." Her father said.

"Longer than most of the current rulers have been alive." Mira added. " _Certainly_ longer all of us." Cleo shared a glance with Raven, the ball of flame disappearing as she parted her hands to place them on her hips. "Longer than our parents, too."

"Probably back to our grandparents." Laia replied, from her place between her parents on the screen. The King and Queen of Hestiv shared a glance, knowing what their daughter said was true.

"From what we can figure, my great-grandfather refused talks with Ever After about trade, and when my grandfather took the throne, the first thing he did was enter talks with Ever After." Pál said, as his son rolled his eyes, getting up.

" _Of course_ , Great-Grandfather Csaba would enter talks with the enemy! _That's no surprise, Father! He was an evil, evil man! And they call Raven's mother evil!"_ Mika replied, speaking directly to his parents on the screen. Pál's gaze darkened.

"Don't you go raising your voice, Mikalos Artegis! It's not my fault-"

 _"I'm not saying it is! I'm saying-"_

 _"Mikalos!"_ Raven hurried to him, stepping between him and the video feed, reaching up to take his face in her hands. "Hey, shh. Calm, my husband. _Easy._ I know you're frustrated-"

"It's just... we've been duped by this _disgusting_ country for the last fifty-eight years, and probably because my great-grandfather got it into his head to encourage trade between Ever After and the rest of the Seven Kingdoms! I'll be _amazed_ if it's discovered none of them have gone bankrupt!" She gently stroked her fingers through his sandy hair, keeping his gaze on her, until she was certain he'd calmed down.

"That's the one _good_ thing, none of the kingdoms have, thank Goddess." Queen Takelia of Andorilia replied; the former princess of Minlex was a known whiz at mathematics, and had often been the one the others of the houses called on to look over the books and check the math. She glanced at her husband, who sighed.

"I don't understand." Raven turned back to them. "Agrona wouldn't have allowed Marberly to enter into agreements without tightening the reigns on Ever After. She led her armies into battle against Palmarneae when Csaba tried to overthrow her to take Marberly; the other five kingdoms came to her defense and fought beside her. She tried to stop the slaughter of Palmarneae's gypsies; she only managed to save the princess." She recalled, remembering what Madame Yaga had told her the semester before. Mika raised an eyebrow at his wife, arms crossed over his chest. She had some major explaining to do, for he'd never even _heard_ of that. How would she? "She was _smarter_ than that-"

"But her husband's brother was the financial adviser." Her father replied. "And he had an axe to grind."

Raven furrowed a brow. "What axe?"

King Riain sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. "Garsenta was originally Agrona's intended." Raven let her eyes roll heavenward as she racked her brain for any remembrance of the name. "She fell in love with his brother, and refused the betrothal set up for her and Garsenta when they were children. She _insisted_ that if she were to marry either of the Vispen princes, it would be Frenduc."

Raven furrowed a brow. She knew of Grandfather Frenduc only from photographs; there was never any mention of him- not that that was unusual, as the Marberly royal family tree was dominated by queens and princesses, the men just tended to... fade away. Unless they were her father, of course. But he was the exception. "I... I have no memory-"

"Frenduc died before you were born, blackbird." Her father replied. "Agrona's health was failing, and she died not long after you turned a year."

"I don't understand. What does Great-Uncle Garsenta have to do with trade and Ever After?" Cleo cut in; he, like Raven, had only seen photographs of Frenduc and Garsenta, his great-uncles. Though that was the connection between the families- and partially why a marriage between Raven and Cleo would have never worked. They were too much like brother and sister for there to be any true romantic love between them. Besides, it was increasingly evident by now that Raven and Mika's temperaments were more suited to each other, which meant their marriage would be strong, and last for many years to come.

"Garsenta resented the fact that Agrona chose Frenduc over him; when his brother asked him to become the treasurer for Marberly, he readily agreed, probably figuring he could get to Agrona and make her see reason. When she refused, he entered into trade talks with Ever After, worked up an agreement, presented a water-down version to Agrona and Frenduc, and then had them somehow implement the more lax agreement into law-"

"Bait and switch." Pál replied and Riain nodded. "And by then, Csaba had already agreed to trade with Ever After, and talked the other kingdoms into it-"

"For the 'good of the kingdoms', most likely." Cleo replied from his seat in Mika's desk chair. The young Palmarneae prince sighed, moving and perching on the window ledge. Raven joined him, sliding her arms around his neck as she inserted herself between his legs. He wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her close.

"Ever After has had their hand in our affairs for _fifty-eight years_." He growled, resting his head against the window. "And we never knew." Raven rested her head on his shoulder, before lifting it with a gasp as something clicked in her brain. He lifted his head, meeting her gaze. "Nevermore? You okay?"

"Queen."

"Huh?"

"Queen of Ever After. Who was _Queen of Ever After_?" The two princes shared a glance as Raven pulled away, going to the video chat. "Daddy! Do you know who was Queen of Ever After fifty-eight years ago? When this all started?"

Riain shook his head, watching his daughter's face fall on the screen. "I don't, Ravenna, I'm sorry."

Silence fell, before eventually Mika spoke up. "The original Snow White, I believe, was supposedly a young girl named Chione." Raven turned back to her husband. "I don't know the name of the woman who came before her, but I _do_ know who the current Snow White is- her name is Ceridwen."

"Wait... the Snow White I met at the Legacy Day fiasco- the one who's my bitch of a roommate's mother- is named _Ceridwen_?" Mika nodded, and Raven laughed, before quickly covering her mouth with her hand. "I'm sorry, but... who names their child _Ceridwen_? And for that matter, _Apple_?"

"Apparently a woman named _Ceridwen_." Cleo replied as Raven chuckled. Mika snorted softly with a shake of his head.

"Sparrow, Duchess, Apple, Daring, Darling, Hopper," Mika quickly listed off a few names of the students who had classes with his wife, classes he taught- including a couple of Raven's close friends- to the strange looks of everyone else. "The parents who send their children to this school don't have any brains at all."

"They're fairy tale characters, my love, they're not _supposed_ to have brains." Raven replied, crossing her arms over her chest and as her teeth slid out to snag her bottom lip.

"So if Apple is Raven's roommate, and her mother's name is Ceridwen, then it must have been her _grandmother_ who put the trade laws into action-"

"But who was her grandmother?" Laia finished Mira's thought. A moment passed before Raven turned, grabbing her phone off the desk.

"Give me a minute, I think I might know how to figure this out."

" _Without_ asking Apple?" Mira asked, and Raven turned to her best friend.

"My first week back, I had to put a silencing charm on that blonde bimbo. I only room with her because Headmaster Grimm won't allow me to stay with Mika-"

"Not that that stops you." Mika replied, as his wife waved it away. She quickly pulled up something on her phone, scrolling through it. "What are you looking at?" He and Cleo stood, both looking over her shoulder in interest. "Apple's... MyChapter page?"

"My- what?" Cleo asked and Raven nodded, stopping her scrolling.

"There it is." She glanced at both men in turn, a grin on her face before clearing her throat and reading in a fake falsetto. "'My name is Apple White, daughter of current Snow White, Ceridwen, and granddaughter of Nagamati. I come from a long, noble line of Snow Whites who have proudly kept the tradition of Snow White alive for centuries. We strive to follow our destiny and keep the legacy of the first, true Snow White alive. It's my mission in life to prove to everyone that I really am the fairest of them all.'" She giggled obnoxiously, and her husband shivered. "Goddess, that makes my throat hurt." She tossed her phone on the bed, reaching up to rub her throat.

"You did that _way_ too well, Nevermore." Mika replied, starting a pot of tea. " _Never_ do that again."

"I don't intend to, my love, don't worry." She replied, accepting the cup once he'd fixed it, as he handed one to Cleo as well.

"Why would she put that on her page?" Cleo asked, brow furrowing. Raven rolled her eyes.

"Because she's _'Apple White'_. She has to make sure everyone knows exactly how important she is. It's _disgusting._ " Raven made a face and Mira and Laia laughed; laughter that instantly stopped at glares from the others.

"Well, now we know who her grandmother was, who started all this- Nagamati." Takelia replied with a sigh. Raven nodded over her cup as silence settled. A moment passed, before Cleo spoke up.

"The question is, how to we stop it?" He shared a glance with the young couple, who both shrugged. "Can we?"

"It would take going back fifty-eight years to find the original trade agreements, and then undoing each clause and amendment piece by piece. It could take months or _years_ before we finally get it all straightened out." Takelia said, as her husband reached out to rub her back reassuringly. Mika set down his mug, going to the computer.

"Taki, if you don't find me so forward," He stopped, at the stares from the others, and quickly cleared his throat. "Your Majesty," She held up a hand, silencing him.

"I'm only a few years older than you, Mikalos. Before Belari, I was Targyn's intended. You never need use rank on me, Miks." He blushed, as Raven and Cleo joined him. A moment passed before he spoke again.

"Taki, is there any way we can stop it? Freeze it before it continues?"

"You mean stop trade, Mika?" Raven asked, meeting her husband's gaze as she rested a hand on his shoulder. He sighed. Cleo crossed his arms, thinking.

"We would have to do it at the same time- the kingdoms. And be firm. Bring up the allegations of unfair trade laws and how Ever After is cutting corners. Present a list of grievances-"

"But would that cause a trade war? And would we be able to still trade with each other?" Laia asked as Raven shrugged.

"We should still be able to trade with each other; it's not the kingdoms who have done wrong, it's Ever After. They're the cause of... everything." Cleo watched his closest friend.

"Are you willing to do this, Raven? Possibly start a trade war with Ever After?"

"It's for the good of my kingdom, Cleo, the good of my people, and all our people. We're being hurt by this, and it needs to stop. And if we close ranks around each other, then no matter what tricks Ever After tries, she won't be able to do a damned thing about it. And maybe we can finally expel the beast once and for all."


	23. Chapter 23

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: So from what I can tell, the big changes hit right around the time Raven turns twenty, or maybe a little before... Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia**

Weeks after Cleon's visit, the Seven Kingdoms were slowly, carefully, ending trade agreements with Ever After. It was decided that each kingdom would slowly pull out, for if all stopped at once, Ever After would know something was up and become suspicious. Mira and Raven's father were keeping both her and Mika in the loop, and if there was anything that specifically needed Raven's signature, they often sent a car to bring her home, usually with a hasty word to the headmaster that official business required her presence back in Marberly.

Raven slipped into the castleteria around seven one early-April evening, smoothing the skirt of her dark green dress. Her violet gaze searched until she found her husband sitting at a table by himself, a book open before him. Midst the noise, Raven grabbed something eat, thanking the castleteria workers with a silent nod before heading to the table; her friends were engaged in conversation and didn't notice as she slipped past them.

"Mind if I sit?"

He looked up from his book, a small grin tugging at his features. With a quick grin, Raven set her tray down and took a seat across from him. The couple settled into silence, only the sound of cutlery interrupting, before she spoke up. "I heard from Cleo today." He raised an eyebrow, sipping his coffee.

"Oh? What'd he have to say?"

She swallowed the bite of her fish, meeting his gaze. "Vispen's successfully broken the trade contracts with Ever After. Forquniz broke off the contracts with Ever After two weeks ago, and the others are slowly following."

"What about Marberly?" Raven took a sip of her coffee.

"We're working on it, it's slow, but Mira and Ivarr think we might officially be free by the end of April, early May at most. It doesn't seem possible that it's already April. The semester will be over in by the second week of June."

Mika chuckled, reaching out to take her hand. "And you've done well so far, love. I'm proud of you." He leaned forward, capturing her lips in a soft kiss. Eventually, they finished eating and got up, slipping past the girls and Hunter as they did so.

"Raven!"

The young queen glanced back at Cerise as she slid her hand up Mika's bicep; a small smile tugged at her lips, and she nodded to her friends. They then disappeared through the swinging doors, headed for Mika's dorm. Once back in his room, he started a fire in the fireplace and they changed into their pajamas, fixing coffee and tea before curling up together in bed. A movie played on his laptop, and he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Two hours later, as the credits rolled, he spoke up, closing the laptop and brushing a kiss to her hair. "Why am I not surprised that you claimed Darling as your partner in _Hero Training_?"

Raven sighed, contented as he gently trailed his hand up the smooth, flawless skin of her back as they lay in bed. Though she had a set of pajamas tucked into the back of his drawer, it was common for the young _Hero Training_ instructor to open the door to the sight of his wife in her pajamas and cloak, escaping the dorm she shared with Apple. She stretched, thinking back on that afternoon, during Hero Training... and how she'd managed to best Darling in hand-to-hand combat, not that that was surprising. Raven had trained in hand-to-hand from the time she was a child.

And Darling... Darling was quickly catching up.

"Because she can match me block for block." She replied, propping herself onto her elbow as her husband set his laptop on his desk and then returned to the bed. "Were she not a princess of Ever After, I would request she move to Marberly and join my army. She would make an excellent general." Raven replied, scooting close and resting her head on his chest. "In fact, I may just do that."

He 'hmmed' softly in reply. "But would she really walk away from her family, Nevermore? You need to consider that. Darling's family is here, her life is here-"

"But she's so much happier learning combat than princessology. You've heard her. She hates that she's a princess, that she has to play the damsel-in-distress. She's thriving in _Hero Training_ , Mika, you _have_ to see that-"

"And I do, my love." He replied, shifting until she lay on her back. His lips found the soft pulse at her throat, and he proceeded to work on distracting her, but Raven wouldn't be swayed. She slid her hands up his chest, gently pushing him away.

"Then what would be the harm if I ask her to come to Marberly and join my army as a general after graduation?"

He sighed. "First, graduation is another year away, Ravenna. You will be back in Marberly by then-"

"And you? Where will you be, my husband?"

"Most likely here." He replied, kissing her softly. She pulled away, meeting his gaze.

"You mean to say that you will stay here? For how long?" He shrugged. She shook her head, pushing herself up and moving to the edge of the bed. "Don't tell me you plan on staying indefinitely. Mikalos! What about when we decide to have a child? Will you stay here throughout my entire pregnancy? What about when our child is finally born? Will you have any say in its life?"

He took her hands, tugging her back to him. "Of course I will, Ravenna. But I have a contract with the school- regardless of whether Headmaster Grimm released me from it or not, in the board's eyes, it still stands. When you become a professor here, you must fulfill ten years of teaching; if the board is satisfied with your record, then you may be given tenure- permanent residency as a professor. If they aren't satisfied-"

"So... you're basically in a... a trial period?" He nodded. "You said ten years? And you've been here for six-"

"Seven, as of two months ago. I arrived at Ever After High and received my position in late February. I officially started teaching in early March."

"Seven years. So you have..." She quickly did the math in her head, her gaze flitting back to him. "three years left." He nodded, pulling her into his arms.

"And by the time those three years are up, we will have been married roughly three years, and can focus on starting our family then."

She shifted in his arms. "And if they give you tenure? Will you take it?"

He thought a moment, brushing a kiss to her lips. "Most likely not. Because I'll have been away from you for too long, and by then our growing family will come first- all one hundred children."

She laughed, shaking her head. "You are not going to let that go, are you?"

He shook his head, kissing her soundly. "Never."


	24. Chapter 24

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia**

The cool night air caressed her skin, and she quickly lowered the hood of her cloak. The light from the fire she'd built was strong, and the clearing secluded, belonging only to her for the time being. The moon was out and full, and after a moment, she turned her attention to her spell book. Cerise was out for a run, leaving Raven to her own devices.

She could feel the tattoo running down the length of her back begin to tingle, and knew it was thanks to her magic. The pendant she wore around her wrist glowed softly, and after a moment, she turned, sensing someone nearby. Slowly, she stood. "Who's there? Cerise?"

Silence.

"Show yourself!"

Again, silence.

"As... as the Queen of Marberly, I command it! _Show yourself_!"

Slowly, a figure stepped out of the shadows; Raven squinted to make out the features. _Cerise... no, Cerise's hood is red._ Slowly, the figure lowered the hood, and Raven's gaze widened.

"Aada?"

The young woman nodded. "I was hoping I could join you." She moved closer. "Spells are often stronger practiced beneath a full moon, after all."

"I belong to no coven, Aada. I am merely-"

"A daughter of the Goddess." The girl replied. "You aren't alone, Raven. We all are."

 _"We?"_ Her brow furrowed in confusion, and after a moment, the other girls in her Witchcraft classes slipped out of the shadows.

"We never dared come out at night to practice, not until you came. Not until we saw you sneaking out. Then we knew it was safe." The small, lithe redhead named Henrietta replied, lowering her own hood as Elysa stepped up beside her, taking her hand.

"We had only ever been allowed to practice in class," Elysa said, her long blonde hair pulled over her shoulder in a braid. "If we'd been caught on school grounds after curfew practicing... we'd have been punished."

"But here... here it's safe." Cressida, a petite brunette in her Divination class spoke up, lowering her hood. Raven let her gaze scan over each; they were all in her Advanced classes- Divination and Witchery and the like... all at one time cast as the villains in their stories, when all each wanted was to chart her own path. "Can we join you, Raven? Please? It would be nice to practice with someone else like us. Someone who understands."

A moment passed, as she gathered her thoughts. Despite Raven's solitary path, the times she'd snuck out of the palace and joined the other girls beneath the light of the moon to practice had been nice- she'd had others who understood what she was going through. They'd recognized the magic in her and accepted her, no matter her chosen solitary path- for Marberly witches never joined covens. They were too bound by loyalty to their royal blood to enter within the struggle that was a coven. Besides, Raven had grown up practicing her magic alone; she was used to the quiet, the solitude, the loneliness. Even though she had Mira, she was still solitary in her practice, and always would be.

But here-

She would be practicing with her classmates, going over what they had learned in class, working until they perfected it. It would be a chance to bond with other witches her age-

Slowly, she nodded.

After several minutes, the other girls gathered around the fire, each now uncertain as to what to do or where to go from here. Taking a deep breath, Aada removed her cloak, letting it drop to her feet, revealing the black and white pajamas she wore. Slowly, cloaks began to fall, and books were opened; spells practiced and enchantments attempted, as the girls settled in a comfortable silence about the fire. Raven settled on her cloak, tarot cards shuffling absentmindedly in her hands as her gaze locked on the flames. A moment passed before she randomly pulled a card-

 _Death._

Changes, transformation.

Her brow furrowed. _Changes? What type of changes? We are already married, what more could there be? Unless..._ Her breath caught. _Unless we're going to have a baby. But... but Madame Yaga's warning from last semester... no, it won't come true. But what if part of it does? What if Mika and I... what if we do have a baby?_

She slowly put her cards away, feeling her magic begin to make her fingertips tingle. At one point, Henrietta brought of dried rosemary and sage from the small pouch attached to her book, and tossed them into the fire with an enchantment. A soft song began to fall from Aada's lips; to anyone witnessing outside the clearing, it was utter nonsense, but Raven recognized the tune- it was a familiar one, often used to call the Goddess during a ritual or practice, though not common among the witches of Marberly, it wasn't unheard of, either.

Aada's voice was soft, melodic, beautiful. No one knew she could sing, for she was so quiet... it was a struggle often to get two words out of her in class. She only opened up around Raven and the girls because she knew them; they were her friends.

 _"Onti marlik unti luna dea..."_ Slowly, the other girls began to pick up the tune, until they were on their feet, bounding around the fire, crying out the song in excitement. The herbs Henrietta had thrown into the fire burst, turning the orange flames brilliant blues and greens. So caught up in the excitement and joy, Raven wasn't aware that she was stripping off her pajamas until the cold air hit her warm skin. The tattoo on her back began to pulse lightly, and she could feel her magic sliding up her arms. Clad in only her undergarments, she reached up, tugging her hair from it's bun, allowing the black curls to cascade down her back and chest.

When Cerise returned from her run to collect Raven, she stopped, hiding in the shadows, watching in confusion and surprise as the girls from the Witchery classes gave into... whatever had caught them in their grasp, as they stripped bare of their pajamas and danced around the fire, nude. One thought crossed her mind, a thought she and so many others had been spoon-fed from the time they were children, that was only reinforced by what she was seeing.

 _On the eve of the full moon, in order to cast extremely strong spells, witches will dance around a fire, nude._


	25. Chapter 25

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia**

As much as Cerise wanted answers, she knew better than to ask, and so simply bid Raven goodnight once they reached the hallway that led to the faculty dorms. Raven smiled softly, bidding her goodnight with a hug, before making her way toward Mika's dorm and knocking softly. After several minutes, Cerise watched as the door opened and Mika poked his head out. Raven rose onto her toes to kiss him, before slipping past him into the room. With a glance and a nod towards her, Mika shut the door softly behind them. Now certain that Raven was safe, she headed back to her own dorm, hoping she could forget the entire night.

Back in Mika's dorm, however, Raven removed her cloak, draping it over the desk chair before climbing into bed. She snuggled up next to Mika, who shifted onto his back. She settled against his chest, curls tumbling down her back, fingers tracing his features softly as one hand slipped beneath the top she wore. "I didn't mean to wake you, my love. I'm sorry."

He sighed, meeting her gaze. "It's okay, Nevermore. I was having trouble sleeping anyway. I can't always stay asleep, especially when you're not in my arms. Call it a bad habit of having you in my arms most of last semester and over the break. I became spoiled."

She giggled, leaning up to kiss him. "You are the furthest from spoiled I've ever _met_ , my husband." He slid a hand into her hair as the kiss deepened, and she reached up, undoing the buttons on her top before sitting up, breaking the kiss. Her hands then moved and began working on undoing the buttons on his shirt; her shirt hung open, hiding her breasts but leaving the valley between them in view. Slowly, Mika's hands left her hair, moving down her sides to slip once more beneath her shirt and caress her skin. Slowly, he tugged the top off her, tossing it away, leaving her in only her pajama bottoms that were sure the join her top on the floor at some point.

Her long black hair tumbled down her shoulders, chest and back, slightly obscuring his view of her breasts. She'd gone to bed the night before with her hair in tight little buns all around her head, held down with bobby pins. He hadn't seen her that morning, mainly because she didn't have classes that day, but he'd heard through the school grapevine that the queen's hair had 'gone crazy curly', and now that he lay beneath her, with his hands caressing the soft hills and valleys of her body, he saw exactly what everyone meant.

Instead of putting her hair up like she normally did, she'd done her hair up in curlers the night before and then removed them before leaving her dorm. The tight black curls bounced about her head, making her appear even more exotic than she already did, what with her pale skin, violet eyes, ink-black hair and 'unusual' features. For despite her pale skin, Raven was considered an oddity in Ever After- not a woman alive within Ever After possessed eyes as unique as hers.

If he were fully honest with himself, his beloved wife fit more the part of Snow White than Apple ever would- from her thick black hair to her porcelain skin, and those blood-red lips she kept coated in a light gloss that she kept licking off out of nervousness or boredom. He knew it was common for the women of Snow White's line to be black-haired and fair-skinned- with the exception of Apple and her mother, who Mika knew for a fact dyed her hair; Ceridwen had shown up for a Parent's Day a couple years back, when Apple was a freshman, not completely altogether there, if the blonde roots appearing at her temples and down the part of her hair seemed to be any indication.

Raven cocked her head, one tight curl falling into her eyes. "What are you thinking, my husband?"

He sighed, trailing his hands along her hips and over her stomach, before trailing a finger down towards the waistband of her pajama bottoms and hooking it within the fabric. "How much I want to get you out of these." She grinned, leaning down to kiss him deeply.

"Then why don't you?" She lifted her hips, giving him a chance to tug the offending garment off her and drop it by the side of the bed, leaving her in only her underwear. She walked her fingers down his chest towards his stomach and lower, before tugging on the hem of his own pajama bottoms. He chuckled, slipping out of them and adding them to the growing pile of clothing on the floor.

Suddenly shy, Raven moved to cover her breasts with her arms, when Mika reached up, gently tugging her hands down. "Don't. Why on earth would you want to hide this exquisite beauty?"

Raven snorted, and with a dip of her head to the side, muttered, "Beauty? You're the only one that thinks so, and only because you're my hus-"

He sat up, sending her shifting into his lap, her legs wrapping loosely around his waist. "I don't think so just because I'm your husband, Nevermore. I'm the only one brave enough to voice it aloud, but I'm not the only one who thinks it. You don't notice, but more than half the male students at this disgusting school can't keep their eyes off you. And more than half the females who attend are jealous _because_ of your beauty. You're the most exquisite person to walk these halls, and they don't know what to do. I can tell you that I've heard more than a few conversations between the boys, and many of them wish to bed you-"

"Because I'm the Queen-"

"Because you're beautiful." He cut her off. "You're beautiful and different and they see it. And I'm sure they're more than a little miffed that I'm your husband." He slid his arms around her waist, meeting her gaze. "Because in this world, marriages happen _after_ high school."

"And in our world, marriages often take place while we're still _in_ school. Present company being the exception, of course." She muttered, blushing. A soft chuckle escaped his lips, and he kissed her quickly.

"It took us six years to find one another again, Nevermore. I don't want you wasting one more minute worrying about what others think. You never have before."

"I have-"

"But only those who matter- your court, your country, your family-"

"You." She smiled softly, sliding her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply. "Do to me what those boys _wish_ they could do, my husband." He hesitated but a moment, and she bit her lip. "I'm on that potion, remember? And we're using protection. There will be no babies right now, no heirs to take away from our year. Not... until... we're... ready." She walked her fingers down his chest before finally sliding her hand down his stomach to hook a finger into the waistband of his undergarments. She tugged gently, and after a moment, he gave in, slipping out of them before tugging hers gently down her hips and off of her. Tossing them aside, he flipped them over, until she lay beneath him, tugging the blankets over them without a second thought. Her laughter filled his ears as he proceeded to kiss every inch of available skin, before doing exactly what every male student at Ever After High wished they could do with her.


	26. Chapter 26

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia**

"You're doing very well, Your Majesty. The control you have now compared to last semester..."

Raven sighed, extinguishing the amethyst flame in her hands and standing. She made her way to the window; it was hot, stuffy, no matter where she went. Even in her lightest of dresses, she was glistening in sweat with no sign of relief any time soon. She decided that she _detested_ Ever After in June; she would much rather be back in Marberly. By now, she and her father, and possibly Mika and his parents and siblings, would all be down by the coast, staying at the small palace the two families often shared on summer holidays.

And yet, she wasn't the only one to suffer, for the entire school seemed to be melting under the heat of the June sun. She and her friends often took to spending their afternoons in the clearing, where it was cool and there was ample shade to go around; at night, she and Mika often shared a cold shower, in attempt to cool off from the sweltering heat. _Why the hell does Ever After High have to be so far away from a coastline?_

"Ravenna." She lifted her head from the cool pane of glass, turning. Iovita floated towards her, no longer wearing the masking spell. It was during Raven's private lessons with Madame Yaga that the mask fell, and the gypsy princess appeared.

"It's hot." She whispered, reaching up and dabbing at the back of her neck. Her fingers came back slick with sweat and she made a face. "I'm not used to heat like this. It doesn't get this hot in Marberly, and if it does, my father and I go to the sea, spend the summer there. Mika's family usually joins us; has from the time we were children."

"You grew up together."

"Isn't that obvious?"

Iovita cocked her head to the side. "To most, yes. To others, not so much." She moved closer, and Raven met her gaze. "What is it you long for, Ravenna?"

"I don't understand."

A moment passed before the princess beckoned her to follow, and they returned to the table where Madame Yaga's crystal ball sat. "Your deepest desires are always the ones so deeply hidden we often have trouble finding them." She held out a hand, and after a moment, Raven held out her hand. It was against Marberly's protocol for anyone to touch Raven without her first offering, but in this instance-

It was two royals sharing a private moment; the Queen of Marberly and the last Princess of the Gypsies.

Gently, Iovita ran a finger over Raven's palm, before sighing softly. "Do you remember what I told you last semester?"

Raven thought a moment. "That Mika and I will have a baby someday."

The gypsy nodded, before turning her gaze back to Raven's palm. She gently caressed the soft skin of the queen's palm, a soft sigh escaping her throat. "Hardship is in your future, Your Majesty. You will suffer a loss parallel to that of your father, a loss that will make you question your very future."

Raven's heart leapt into her throat. "What... what kind of loss?"

Iovita shook her head. "I cannot tell, but it will shape not only your future, but the future of your country as well. It will drive you near the edge, but you will not go over, for you will have something to stop you, something to live for." She met Raven's gaze, before her own wandered down to the girl's abdomen. "Tell me, Your Majesty, when was the time of your last bleed?"

"I'm one the potion. And Mika and I... we use protection. We're careful. We cannot afford the time a child takes up. And I do not need an heir now, not yet. If I have not produced an heir before my twenty-second birth-"

Iovita stood, moving around around the table towards her. "You will bear a child long before your twenty-second birthday, Your Majesty. You shall have your heir before you reach twenty-one, but the child will come at a cost. A great cost that will make you question everything. This child will make you question your traditions, the very foundation of your monarchy, the very foundation of your magic. It can destroy everything you ever thought you wanted, everything you thought you knew about yourself and the history of your country, your magic. It will force you to make a choice- your country and your legacy or it."

Raven shook her head. "No! A child can't do that! A child is... is _innocent_ and helpless and-"

"Not this child. The child you will bear will throw everything into question, everything that you believe and stand for. It will set you and your country on a course you will not be able to stop, unless you make a choice."

The young queen swallowed. "A.. a choice?"

Iovita nodded. "Yes." She turned her gaze to the crystal ball, trailing a finger down the curve of it. "When you are round and heavy with child, you will face the first difficult choice of many to come. It will be your decision, to stay or go."

"Stay or... go?"

The gypsy sighed, shaking her head. "I've said too much. I must not reveal any more of the the future lest it drive you to madness."

Raven started, horrified. "So... what? I am to... to be driven to madness like... like my mother?" She backed away, shaking her head. She didn't want to hear anymore of what Iovita had to say. "No. No! I won't turn out like her! I won't!" And without another word, she grabbed her jacket and clutch and fled the hut.

 _"Your Majesty!"_

Her feet led her through the halls until she got to Mika's dorm. Pounding on the door, she waited anxiously until it opened. "Nevermo-" But he never got to finish, as Raven threw her arms around his neck, choking back sobs. He managed to stagger back enough to shut and lock the door, before pulling away from his wife and taking her face in his hands. "Ravenna, what happened? I thought you had your session with Madame Yaga?"

"I... did..." She sobbed, and then proceeded to tell him everything Iovita had revealed, choking on the last part. _"What if that happens to me, too, Mika? What if I turn into my mother? What if I become just as mad as her? What will happen to us, to our marriage, to our children then? And Marberly? It would be my parents all over again-"_

He gathered her to his chest, holding her tight against him as she sobbed, gently rocking her back and forth, one hand stroking through her hair. "Shh, hush, Nevermore. That won't happen. It _won't_. You know why?" She shook her head slightly. "Because you're stronger than your mother was. So much stronger than her." He kissed her head. "So, so much stronger than her. And that strength can get you through anything."


	27. Chapter 27

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: So apparently this first half was written to almost mirror a semester- how the winter semester seems to drag on, but the spring semester flies by, which is why the chapters in regards to Ever After High's spring semester are so quick and condensed. Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia**

In another week, her last semester at Ever After High would be over, and she would be going back to Marberly with Mika. It would be a long summer of royal engagements, meetings, festivities and family gatherings until Mika returned to Ever After High in the fall, leaving Raven alone to rule Marberly. She would have countless meetings with her advisers, the court, and the other houses to keep her busy over the next three months.

But for now, she had the End-of-Year Dance to attend. And, to add to the festivities, she'd just gotten word from her father and Mira that Marberly was finally free of the trade agreements with Ever After, the last of the Seven Kingdoms to pull out. Somehow, someway, for now, they'd managed to escape without being seen, and Raven could only hope it would stay that way. The less contact the kingdoms had with Ever After now, the better...

She turned to the side, smoothing the skirt of her dress with a sigh.

As the reigning monarch of Marberly, Raven was under strict protocol in regards to what she could and could not wear out in public- nothing that showed more than three inches of midriff, nothing shorter than her fingertips, nothing that showed excessive cleavage, nothing see-through unless it was over something, and no mesh anything. Sneakers were allowed with 'casual' outfits; no loose jeans or crop tops; these rules had been in place for years, and had changed as the fashions changed, keeping the royal family up to date with the times.

The thick spaghetti strapped v-neck dress she had chosen for the dance was a beautiful dark red, with a natural waist and circle skirt encircled with a jeweled waistband. The back opened slightly and the bodice was fitted and skirt flared out slightly. It was a very beautiful little dress, one her father had had ordered for her for her sixteenth birthday, but she'd never worn it.

She tossed her hair over her shoulder, the tight black curls she'd put her hair up in again the night before tumbling down her back. She wore the black diamond Mika had given her for her birthday around her neck, and the pendant on her wrist. A pair of black heels completed the outfit, pulling the whole thing together. Her makeup was subtle, and she wore a pair of black diamond dew drops in her ears. Just as she was about to change her mind about the dress, a gentle knock sounded on the door and she moved to answer it. "Hi."

She blushed, suddenly a schoolgirl facing her first crush. "Hi."

He smiled softly, let his gaze slowly rove over her body, drinking in every detail, before he shook his head. "Ready?"

"One moment." She hurried back to her desk, grabbing her black clutch before joining him and shutting the door softly with a lock. Apple was with Blondie getting ready, which meant Raven had the dorm to herself for once. She slipped her arm through Mika's, suddenly all excited nerves. From what Raven could gather, the dance had only been allowed if the professors were there to chaperone- Madame Yaga, Professor Piper, Mika and a few others.

The short walk to where the dance was being held was filled with silence, as the couple strolled along, enjoying the silence. Eventually, however, she spoke up, meeting his gaze. "Daddy called today."

"What did your father want?" Mika hadn't quite gotten to the point where he felt like he could refer to his father-in-law by anything other than 'Sir' or 'Your Majesty' when together, unlike Raven, who had started calling Baxiana and Pál 'Mother' and 'Father' almost as soon as the engagement was announced. Although given the relationship between the two men before the engagement, it wasn't any wonder Mika was apprehensive. But he loved Raven, and she understood that it would take time for the two men to warm up to each other, and see each other as more than just having a common denominator between them, but as family.

"I- we- have been invited to Taki's birthday; Daddy said it would be a good chance for us to make a good first impression on Andorilia, since the wedding. Though why we need to make a good impression is beyond me, when all of Andorilia knows both of us, and the Seven Kingdoms had practically been-"

"Holding their collective breath, waiting for us to finally marry?" He finished, and she blushed, that he could read her so well. He shook his head. "Can you believe Taki turns...thirty-four? For she's only a couple years younger than Tar, and he _just_ turned thirty-six."

"And you will turn twenty-three in September, my love," She replied with a giggle, stopping and turning to face him.

"You will turn nineteen in November." He added, tugging her close. She slid her arms up his chest before they wrapped around his neck. "And by the end of December, we will have been married a year." They shared a soft kiss; he pulled her closer, sliding an arm around her waist.

"And the anniversary of my dynasty is the year after- the quincentennial, can you believe it? My family has been on the throne as long as Marberly has been _alive_." She sighed. "Five hundred years, my family has ruled, despite the Blood Wars and the lives cost, regardless of sex, it was still a member of _my_ family on the throne."

"And you will join them, when you're ready." He whispered, lifting her chin.

"I have joined them, my love, or have you forgotten? I'm the queen."

He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "I haven't forgotten. And what I meant, was that your legacy is not set in stone. You have so much more to write, that you are simply getting started. The ink has not dried fully on the page yet; your story is waiting to be continued." She kissed him then, deeper this time. When she pulled away, there was a glint in her eyes that matched his own.

"Would it be okay if we skipped the dance, Mika? I'm not really one for school dances."


	28. Chapter 28

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia**

The first weeks of summer passed by quickly; meetings with her advisers, state visits, festivals and the like took up the majority of Raven and Mika's time. She barely had time to herself, let alone time to video chat with her friends from school. Between returning to visit Mika's family to celebrate Caysian's birthday, and his parents' wedding anniversary, bouncing over to Vispen for the silver jubilee of Cleon's parents taking the throne, the couple had little time in between to spend together, though they managed to find small pockets of freedom to steal an occasional kiss or caress.

Her father's birthday was at the end of the month, and Raven had decided on a small, private party, which had gone over wonderfully. And then, one late evening as they were relaxing in the sitting room, Raven announced something that cast a shadow over everything.

"I want to see my mother."

Mira stilled in her placement of the queen in her game of chess with The Good King, and both nodded, but didn't look up from the board; it was customary, that after dinner, Mira and her father join Raven and her father, and she and the former king get through at least one game of chess before the evening fell to pieces and exhaustion took hold; Ivarr meanwhile, usually fell into a discussion with Raven's father, while Mira tried her best to win one game against the former king. Mika, who'd been sitting on the sofa, caught up in a novel he'd been working his way through, reached over, patting her knee from where her legs were draped over his lap. "Of course you do, my wife." He replied, turning another page in his book.

Raven lowered the crochet needle, losing a stitch in the scarf she'd started as a gift for her father for Christmas. "I'm serious, Mikalos. I _want_ to _see_ my _mother_." The firmness of her tone caused him to tear his attention from his book, and he turned to her.

"I'm sorry, did I hear you correctly?" She nodded. "Okay. _Why_?"

It was now that The Good King and Mira both looked up from their game; the conversation Ivarr and the king were having ended as every head turned. Suddenly aware that she was the sole object of everyone in the room, she lifted her chin. "A lot has happened in my life. I want to tell her. Besides, she _is_ my mother, and my last memory is-" She stopped, biting her lip. She hadn't thought any further than her announcement, if she were honest with herself. Finally, she contented herself with the soft, "She's my mother. I miss her."

The king and Mira shared a glance, before Mira turned to her father, and after a moment, Mika set his book aside and pulled Raven into his arms. Her crochet fell to the floor, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his skin. "I understand, Ravenna, I do, but sometimes, things aren't meant to be rediscovered. I know your mom cared deeply for you, but maybe you need to concede that after all these years, she won't want to know you, or might not even remember you. And then there's the fact that she's dangerous. And the last thing I want is for you to get hurt." He kissed her head firmly, closing his eyes with a sigh.

"She's just mad, Mika, not dangerous." Raven replied, lifting her head to look up at him. He bit his lip, pulling away from her. "Madness doesn't always equal danger."

"Ravenna." She turned to meet her father's gaze. "It's not even in regards to her being dangerous. It's more... more along the lines of whether or not she would remember you, let alone want to see you."

The young queen furrowed a brow. "Remember me? Why would she not remember me? I'm her _daughter._ "

Gently, Mika ran a hand through her loose black locks, knowing that his wife would not be dissuaded from this. He glanced at the others, locking gazes with his father-in-law. Only Riain knew what had transpired when Bronwyn had been taken away, only Riain would have an idea of what was going through his wife's head. And only he could dissuade his daughter from her quest. A moment passed, before the older man sighed and stood. He looked at each of them in turn, before turning to his son-in-law. "I'm going to go down to the kitchens and get some coffee. How about I bring something back for everyone?" Mira simply nodded, but Raven furrowed a brow.

"Why don't we just have one of the maids-"

"I don't mind, Ravenna, and I need to stretch my legs. Care to help me, Mikalos?" He cocked his head, and after a moment, the young prince nodded, gently shifting his wife back onto the sofa and getting up.

"Of course, Sir." Mika hadn't gotten to the point yet where he felt comfortable enough to call Riain father, whereas Raven had been started calling Pal and Baxiana 'Mother' and 'Father' from the moment the engagement was announced. Mika usually stuck to 'Sir' or 'Your Majesty'. He stood, leaning down and gently brushing a strand of hair off Raven's shoulder. "I'll be right back, love." He kissed her quickly. "I love you." She nodded, letting him go. A moment passed before the two men slipped out of the room.

Once on their way down to the kitchens, Mika glanced at his father-in-law. He slipped his hands into his pockets as they strolled down the hall. "If you don't mind me asking, Your Majesty, but... why don't you want Raven to see her mother?"

Riain sighed. "Bronwyn is... more than just sick, Mikalos. She's mad."

A brow furrowed. "We know-"

"No, you don't. She's a danger, not only to herself, but to Raven."

Mika stopped, something clicking in his head. "Wait... so... is that why she was taken away? She didn't just go mad, she became-"

"Dangerous."

The young man sighed, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but... what exactly did she _do_? Or _try_ to do?"

Riain stopped, turning back to his son-in-law. His voice was soft as he spoke, tears lightly coating the edges. "She tried to kill my daughter."


	29. Chapter 29

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

 **A/N: Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia**

He couldn't wrap his head around it. Why on earth would anyone- least of all the Queen of Marberly _herself_ \- want to kill her own _daughter_? Let alone _try_ to? After hearing the whole sordid tale, Riain had asked him to keep the reason behind Bronwyn's removal from Raven's life a secret. And so it was with a heavy heart that the young prince agreed to keep The Good King's secret from his beloved wife. Despite the fact that he and Raven made it a habit not to have secrets from each other, he knew this was one secret he had to keep, for her own sake and safety.

"What are you thinking about so deeply, my husband?" He looked up as Raven joined him. It was the early evening of a late July day, and the couple had escaped to the garden to avoid the stuffiness of the palace. The russet color of her dress was beautiful against her skin, and she wore her hair pulled back in a messy braid. She'd spent all afternoon stuck in meetings with her advisers about strengthening infrastructure, and so when he'd informed her that he'd be in the garden if she wanted to join him after, she'd jumped at the chance. Dinner was an hour and a half away, and the couple were taking this precious time to enjoy each other's company.

He sighed, shaking his head. "Nothing."

"Nothing?" She raised an eyebrow. "It has to be more than just 'nothing', considering the look in your eyes."

Another sigh, heavier this time. "Trying to... figure how I'm going to live with being apart from you for a whole year again, is all."

"Oh." She lowered her head. "Right. You have to go back to Ever After."

"Hey, don't worry." He reached over, tilting her head up to meet her gaze. "We'll figure it out. I won't go all semester, or all year, without seeing you. I promise." He kissed her softly, slipping his other arm around her waist and pulling her closer. She curled into his chest for several minutes, feeling the lightness of the breeze gently push the swing back and forth, before speaking.

"What if I came?"

He furrowed a brow, pulling away. "What?"

She looked up at him, eyes wide. "Back. What if I went back with you to Ever After High? Then we wouldn't be apart-"

"But you have Marberly to rule-"

"I can just as easily rule my country from Ever After High as I can when I'm here. I did it last year, remember?" She curled closer. "Besides, I don't want to be away from you any longer than I have to be. And who knows, it might be good for me."

"How can going back to Ever After High possibly be good for you, my wife?"

She sighed. "Call it a lesson in... _politics_."

They returned from the garden an hour later, entering the dining room hand-in-hand, having talked through a possible plan in regards to Raven's returning to Ever After High with Mika. Her father, Mira and Ivarr- for it was customary for Mira and her father to join the royal family, being of nobility themselves and the closest _to_ the royals- all looked up as the couple entered, silent. As Mika held her chair out for her and she took a seat, Raven glanced at her father.

"I have an announcement." The others waited, and Raven glanced at her husband, reaching for his hand, which he took with a gentle squeeze. "As everyone knows, Mika's under contract with Ever After High- a trial run for... ten?" He nodded, continuing where she left off.

"I am under contract with the school- ten years of teaching, and if the board is satisfied with what I am doing, then I will be given tenure- permanent residency as a professor. If not-" He shrugged. "I have three more years to complete before the board makes its decision. Frankly, if you want my honest opinion, I hope they will release me from my contract once the ten years are up. I would rather be here, in Marberly with Ravenna than in that kingdom. But since I won't be-"

"I want to return to Ever After High."

Silence met her declaration.

"I... I'm _sorry_?" Mira was the first to break the silence, setting her knife and fork down with a clatter. "You wish to... what?"

"Ravenna, _think_ about this." Her father replied, folding his arms on the table. Raven sighed.

"I have. I've given it a lot of thought-"

"Are you sure you aren't just deciding to do this to be with Mikalos, Rae?" Ivarr asked, and she shook her head.

"I'm not, Ivarr. Yes, my husband plays a small part, but... I also figure that... that maybe there is still much left for me to learn at that school." She met her husband's gaze, as Mira sipped her tea.

"Raven, that school nearly-"

"I know, Mira. But maybe this will be good for me. As I told Mika, I'm considering this a lesson."

"A lesson?" Her best friend raised an eyebrow. "A lesson in _what_?"

Raven swallowed a sip of her coffee. "In politics." The others shared glances. "Think about it. My being there started a revolution among the students. It got them thinking that maybe there is something beyond the lives they'd be forced to live after signing the Storybook of Legends. The girls said it themselves on our wedding day when they gave Mika and I that petition- we taught them that they can find their own happily-ever-afters, that they don't have to do what their parents expect them to." She glanced at Mika. "And it would give me better insight on how _not_ to run my country."

Mira wrinkled her nose as Ivarr and The Good King chuckled. "If you feel you're up for the challenge, my little blackbird, you may return with Mikalos to school. But you must keep us updated on everything that goes on."


End file.
